by Navina Bekheit

A notable face around PHS, beloved by his students, and known by his classes for “looking weird” outside music classrooms. This teacher does a lot for our music department, not only running multiple classes but also directing multiple after school ensembles and the marching band. If you weren’t able to guess already, this teacher is Mr. Glass. 

For anyone who isn’t familiar with him, he was kind enough to answer a few questions.

Q: What class or classes do you teach?

A: I teach wind ensemble, concert band, music major, guitar 1 and guitar 2”

Q: What is your favorite part about your job, what’s your least favorite?

A: “My favorite part is the relationships I get to build with individual students because I get to have them for 4 years of making music together in band. My least favorite is having to give grades in class for musicianship.”

Q: How long have you been working at PHS?

A: “I have been here for 20 years”

Q: What instruments do you play? Or how many/primary?

A: My strongest instruments are tuba, bass guitar, guitar, and clarinet. But I do have some proficiency on most instruments”

Q: What made you choose to go into music education?

A: My dad is a high school band director and growing up watching what he does made me want to do it too.”

by Colin Gresham

The newest face of the PHS staff is a freshman and sophomore English teacher, Mr Clapp. He also is the staff advisor for the SAGA club. Most recently, he taught at Samoset Middle School in Leominster, MA. Mr Clapp is in his third year of teaching, and this is his first year at Pembroke High School. Mr Clapp first went to college to become a journalist but then made a switch in order to become an English teacher after his first course on education.

Q: What made you want to be a teacher?

A: To make sure every student knows that they have someone who believes in them.

Q: Where did you go to college to become a teacher?

A: I went to Worcester State University

Q: Did you always want to be a teacher?

A: No, I wanted to be a Journalist then after I took my first education course I knew I wanted to be a teacher.

Q: What is your favorite book to teach in English class?

A: Anything by Edgar Allan Poe

Q: How was the transition from teaching middle school to high school?

A: I have been able to teach new books, which has been interesting. I haven’t gotten the chance to teach some of these books and it has been really cool.

 Q: Why did you want to teach English?

A: I wanted to teach English because it is a subject that as long as you can defend yourself and your answer you can have the right answer.

Q: What are some of your favorite assignments to teach to your students?

A: I like to teach creative writing assignments because it lets students show more of their voice through their writing.