Day 46 - Teacher Appreciation Week

Today's post is from senior Emma Clifford

Note:  We are celebrating teacher appreciation at MWHS.  All posts this week will be written about our fantastic teachers!

As far as staff members goes, Mound Westonka has some of the best. I’ve seen quite a few staff changes in my almost five years here, but for the most part, these changes have been exceptionally positive. I moved to Mound the summer before 8th grade, and in my middle school, trying to get help and stick out in the crowd of thousands of students was really challenging. Here at MWHS, the teachers are more than willing to help you whenever you ask -- and they treat you like the individual that you are.

The staff member(s) that have had the most impact on me is our Social Studies department. I’ve taken a class with them for each of my years of high school (8th-12th grade), and starting sophomore year, I took AP courses. Every teacher, from 8th grade American History with Mrs. Schwartz or Mr. Humbert all the way to AP Government & Politics with Mr. Paul, are extremely passionate about what they teach, and it’s obvious that they fully enjoy it. They appear to work together better than any other department and they organize their courses to blend together in order to prepare us as we advance through the years. Mr. Doepner-Hove would explain to us the mechanics of a Free Response Essay in AP United States History, and then Mr. Hiebert would expand on that knowledge in his AP World History class the following year. Not only do they collaborate well in the classroom, but it’s also very apparent that they’re good friends outside of school too, which makes the learning environment a lot more fun.

Our history teachers are not only quality teachers, but they’re also really quality people. They each genuinely care about their subject and their students. I feel like I’ve learned the absolute most from my history teachers -- and not just about the Civil War or the 12th Amendment -- but about how to be an informed and politically active citizen, voter, and person. I’ll take these skills with me far beyond Mound Westonka, and I know that I’ll never forget the impact they’ve had on me. So, from me and all my fellow classmates, thank you for all that you do.

Mr. Humbert, Mr Doepner, Mr. Paul, Emma, Mr. Kuehl, Mrs. Schwartz and Mr. Heibert