25 years of Mr. McCarthy

Twenty-five years is a long time. Mr. McCarthy is a 6th-grade science teacher who has been teaching for that long. I interviewed him about what has happened over his 25 years of teaching. 

Jack Till

 

 

What inspired you to teach?

I like to doodle so I wanted to be an art teacher. In college, I decided to become an elementary school teacher. I just so happened to have a science job and I fell in love with it.

 

What was teaching like 25 years ago?

Instead of a middle school, we were a junior high school, and we didn’t have any teams. There were no computers except in the library and computer lab. Mrs. Lee’s room was where I taught science for a couple of years. We had chalkboards and overhead projectors. 

 

What is your favorite memory from your 25 years at GW?

I like it when students that have graduated come back to school and I hear what achievements they have made. I have a project in which students write letters to themselves, like a time capsule. I like to learn the things I teach, like atoms, molecules, and Issac Newton. I also like to help students open their eyes to the wonders of science.

 

What do you think has changed the most?

Technology. This year we have Chromebooks. Back when I started, there was no internet at school. After some years, teachers could borrow routers and modems to search up something using dial-up. I may have started the first website for GW. 

 

As you can see, 25 years at GW can really shape what a person is. Mr. McCarthy is a kindhearted science teacher who loves teaching, science and his students.