As you’ve probably noticed, there are several new faces among the Cambridge Rindge & Latin faculty this year, ranging in age, subject, and background. Despite all of these differences, one thing unites our new teachers: a desire to improve the CRLS community.
The new teachers all expressed a particular interest in helping students. Alaina Solomon, a new chemistry teacher, told the Register Forum, “I’m excited to be a part of CRLS, to work with kids in Cambridge and to help the community!” Bryant Gomez, a new AP Government teacher taking the place of Ms. Sandoval (who moved to California this past summer), shared Solomon’s sentiment. He told the Register Forum, “I want to not only contribute to this community, but to grow, to become a part of it, and to learn from teachers—but mostly to learn from the students here.” With a smile, he added, “The students are the best way for teachers to learn about anything.”
Our new ninth-grade English teacher, Jason Evers, hopes to improve the community by making space for students to share their literary passions. He told the Register Forum, “I’d love to share my love of literature. I want to help create a community of writers in CRLS, people who love the arts and media, and give them a place to feel like they belong.”
Another quality found among our new staff is resilience. Elizabeth Bendler, a physics teacher who recently joined CRLS, explained why she decided to major in physics. She recalled receiving a disappointing grade in college, and instead of letting it discourage her, she took it as an opportunity for growth. “I went up [to the professor] at the end of class, and I said, ‘I want you to know that I can do better than this,’ and I declared my physics major the following week.”
Elvin Lin, a recently hired math teacher, had a similar story. He told the Register Forum, “I struggled with math in college, and that’s why I want to teach math. I don’t want other people to feel the struggle that I felt.” He also noted the importance of understanding mathematical concepts, attributing his past struggles to the tendency to memorize equations without truly grasping their meaning. Both of these teachers are amazing role models; they perfectly demonstrate how students can grow and learn in the face of adversity and even use their challenging experiences to help others in the future.
Cambridge Rindge & Latin’s new teachers perfectly live up to the school’s values of community, inclusion, and resilience. They are all eager to uplift their students in times of stress, to make the CRLS community a warmer and friendlier place, and to inspire students to be their best selves. It’s a delight to see such passionate teachers join our school district, and from the CRLS community, we would like to give them a warm welcome!
This article also appears in our September 2024 print edition.
