Victoria Zimenko
Staff Writer
For many students, English class is about reading books, writing essays, and learning grammar. For Mr. Ryan Rosenberry, it is so much more than that. His lifelong passion for reading helped shape him into the teacher he is today.
Mr Rosenberry's love for English started at a young age. His grandmother would often take him to the library which sparked his interest in reading.
“I was always into english class, and I liked reading since I was really young. My grandmother always took us to the library. So I've always been a reader,” Mr. Rosenberry said.
Although he enjoyed the idea of majoring in English, teaching wasn't originally his plan.
“When I was 18 I actually went to nursing school for a year. When you go into school for an English degree, everyone asks you what you're going to do with it. So I tried to avoid that. With nursing school, I thought that I would maybe enjoy it because like, you can read books anytime. But after a year of nursing school, I really wasn't into it.”
He eventually decided to pursue an English degree and get his teacher certification at the same time.
“I thought that if I was going to get my English degree, I should just get my teaching stuff with it. So at least even if I graduated and someone asked me what am I going to do with the English degree, I can say ‘im going to be a teacher.’” He said.
Mr. Rosenberry strongly believes in the importance of English. When asked if he thought that English was an important subject to learn in school, he answered, “More than 100%. It's one of the last things we have where we can't just google the answers. The way you read or interpret something is completely your own. It's not just how you write papers but also about the way you think about stuff. When everyone's reading the same book, we can all read it a little differently and I think that's super cool.”
Throughout his teaching career, one of the biggest lessons Mr. Rosenberry has learned is patience. He remembers advice from a mentor teacher who taught him not to get frustrated when students need help with something.
“Something teaching has taught me is patience. I had a really good mentor teacher, and her advice was pretty simple. She said that if a kid comes up to you, and doesn't know how to use a stapler, just teach him how to use a stapler. Don't get frustrated. Like they should obviously already know how to use a stapler, but don't let it frustrate you. Just show them.”
When asked about his favorite part about working at CVHS, his answer was the students, teachers, and the atmosphere in general.
“Oh, you guys. I like all you kids. It's a good atmosphere, you guys have a good attitude, and the teachers I work with here in this hallway have a good attitude, even when things seem overwhelming. There's a lot of empathy,” Mr. Rosenberry said.