Tony Pisenti, one of the new English teachers, has just begun his journey at Bear River High School for the 2019-2020 school year.
As this position is his first as a teacher, he had some positive input on his teaching experience so far, ranging from the students he has come to meet the other staff members.
“I love it! The culture here is much like my hometown, so I already feel right at home,” he said. “My fellow staff is incredible and I enjoy being with all of my students!”
A variety of students commented on how they enjoy his class and how engaged he is with their peers.
“His work is super light,” said Josh Mannion, a freshman. “I like his class a lot. He is amazing, … one of the best teachers on campus.”
“I love Mr. Pisenti’s class,” said Freshman Peter Rice. “The work is light, not heavy. He is not a strict teacher.”
Sophomore Arden Franks commented on his teaching style.
“I love the environment, but he is a new teacher so we are trying to figure everything out,” she said. “He is a good teacher. He’s not the type of teacher [that] if we have questions, he would tell us to do it ourselves. He helps you understand everything, but I think it will be a little rocky because he has never really done an AP class.”
Some students, especially upperclassmen, are currently facing the dilemma of what they would want to do for the rest of their life. Faced with such a big decision can be a bit daunting at times. Mr. Pisenti described how he stumbled upon his own profession.
“I have always wanted to be in a career where I made an impact on people,” he said. “Teaching has been a career of my family for a long time so it was always in the cards for me. After seeing the breathtaking legacy of my grandfather’s career, it cemented my desire to teach so I could try to meet his legacy.”
Alongside mainstream English, Mr. Pisenti aids students who struggle in his academic literacy class. To get to his position however, education is obviously needed. Mr. Pisenti went on to explain his previous education.
“I went to Butte Community College before I transferred to Chico State,” he said. “I went through multiple major changes before I got my BA in international relations and then received my teaching credential in English.”
There are many different schools in the area that could have piqued Mr. Pisenti’s interest, so how did Bear River catch his eye?
“My wife and I wanted to move into the area so looked around the nearby districts,” he said. “Bear River stood out to me because everyone that I spoke to was very relaxed, happy, and excited about the students … Plus I get to see pine trees every day which reminds me of my childhood in the mountains.”
As mentioned before, Mr. Pisenti is new to the field of teaching. As such, he commented on how he feels in a high school class environment as a final thought.
“I feel in my element having some fun with my students while still getting the necessary work completed,” he said. “ … I landed right where I wanted to be, and my students are fun.”
