Nardin's Newest Teacher

Andie Kiener  ~  October 2023

This school year, Nardin Academy welcomed a new teacher into its ranks: Mr. Andrew Senseney. Mr. Senseney teaches Physics and AP Chemistry, and is also the head of Science Olympiad, a white club. To welcome him into our school community, I asked him some questions about his experiences so far. 

Andie Kiener: How do you like being at Nardin? How is it different from your old school?
Mr. Andrew Senseney: I’m loving it. There’s a list of differences. I’m not used to lockers in the classrooms. I was worried people would be slamming them too loud–people are actually kind of quiet.  And it’s really nice. It also gives me a chance to also see my advisory and say “hi” to other students more.

AK: How is advisory?
AS: It’s going fantastic. I love the advisory times, moreso, where I can shut my doors–I tell my students in my advisory “I want it to be like a family,” because we’re together for this year, next year, and the year after that, so we’re like, one.

AK: So you have sophomores?
AS: Yes, I got sophomores. I’m thankful I got a fresh batch, and long-term commitment for three years, to be a family. So, I try to teach them skills, like I think–I hope–other advisories do. I don’t know if they love it or hate it. The first time we did advisory I taught them body language and social skills–how to read people, and do better at social conversations. After that, I decided bonding would happen through trial by combat, so we went to the JVZ gym for advisory and I taught them the game “Ninja,” where they freeze, and they have to hit their hands–do you know that game by chance?

AK: I don’t think so?

AS: Everybody should learn that game before they go to college. I should teach everybody that.

AK: Alright–I think that's a good usage of the time.

AS: Thank you. There’s never going to be a dull day. 

AK: You teach Physics and AP Chemistry, right?

AS: Yes.
AK: How’s that going? 

AS: Physics, I’m rocking it. I try not to perpetuate gender bias, but teaching girls has been nothing short of fantastic. It’s always the boys from my old school–I’ve taught for six years, so I like to think I know what I’m doing from the physics side of things–but the boys are the ones who disrupt the class more than anything, and just be disrespectful, and stuff. But no discipline issues here! I’m loving it at Nardin. There’s also no hall duty, I don’t have to stand outside my door in between classes.

AK: Oh, you used to have to do that?

AS: Yeah. Well, at least I just always did it just to be a good person. And, at my old school the boys’ bathroom and the girls’ bathroom were right around the corner of my door, so I would be the one to supervise it, so when the TikTok trend was going around last year of destroying bathrooms–it was the boys’ bathroom that always got locked down and shut because they were dumb and destroyed the soap dispenser, or shoved as many paper towels as they could in the urinal, or the toilet. It’s just ridiculous. Anyway, I’m happy I’m here, and there’s no issue, and I don’t have to guard a bathroom. There’s a lot of pros. This is closer, and I don’t have to teach middle school. 

AK: Are there any cons?

AS: I’m trying to think…no, that’s quite nice, actually, I can’t think of a con. Everybody’s been loving and supportive…no, that’s nice, I don’t even have to think too hard about that.

AK: What do you do for Science Olympiad?
AS: So, at my old school, in Springville, for the past four years I’ve been a coach, and I’ve helped out with Science Olympiad, basically what it is, is that it’s one day in February, where we go to Buff State college for the day, and every school is given their own lecture hall or classroom, and that’s your “home base” where you keep your bags, your belongings, and all that. And then on campus for the day, we are going around the campus to all these different events that are scheduled, all over the campus. So whatever events you sign up for and study up for and prepare for, you go compete against other schools. Couple cool things about it is that when they announce who got the top places, the top ten get medals for each competition. So, Springville, we always got a few medals at least, because it was always the top ten schools for each event. So they have a ton of medals.

Clare Conboy: How many schools usually go?

AS: I don’t know how many exactly? I’d say thirty. Roughly. It could be forty, but I’m just making it up.

AK: Oh, I could ask about DJing, because I know you do that. How’s that?

AS: I love DJing dances. I’ve been teaching for six years–my first two years after I got my masters from SUNY-Fredonia, I couldn’t get a job in Western New York–nobody would hire me as a physics teacher ‘cause I was “too fresh.” Which is kind of ironic, ‘cause I’ve heard there aren't enough physics teachers. I mean, I guess usually high schools only need one physics teacher, cause it’s like the top of the pyramid, less kids take it, but–I moved away, moved to Binghamton to a small school and taught middle school-high school combo, and I always attended dances growing up, and I loved chaperoning dances, so when I was at the small school, the teacher who had their iPad was running the dances, I was like “Hey, can I try?” and then I loved that, and I got my own iPad, started DJing dances, and then a year or two ago when I was at Springville, I was just DJing whatever school I was at. I wasn’t trying to advertise. But then I was told I couldn’t do that anymore, with the school’s equipment, like I couldn’t get paid just a hundred dollars and use the school’s speakers. The guy who’s in charge of that wasn’t very nice. Anyway, it was really cool then, because I talked to my wife and then I was like, “Okay. I’m gonna go buy my own sound system and lights, and I’m going to advertise to these schools–tell them I’m a teacher, I’m certified, I love this stuff.” So now I DJ dances for like, five schools regularly, pretty much. 

AK: Are you doing any more dances here?

AS: I’m so sad that Nardin is so organized. They already have a contract for each of those advisors, they have a contract with a DJ for this entire year…so there’s always next year. I’m really hoping that from showing what I’ve got, in the gym for Family Feud, I hope that it shows the other advisors that I’m serious, I got turntables, lights, sound, I’ve done this seriously for the past two years. I know I’ve got two dances for next year, but I’m hoping to get the rest of the advisors that I’m scared to talk to.

Title photo credit: Andrew Senseney