The 2022-2023 school year has kicked off to a great start as students approach the second month of school and adjust to the new academic year. Several new teachers have joined the staff this year, becoming a part of the extraordinary crew. We welcome Mr. Christopher Orozco as he joins the math department at Arcadia High School (AHS)!

Mr. Orozco joins the math department as a first-time high school teacher, teaching Algebra 1 and Algebra 2. Prior to coming to AHS, he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he also got his teaching credentials. Previously in his career, he taught calculus and tutored a little bit of physics in his year of student teaching. He believed that teaching subjects in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) would definitely work out for him, especially after taking numerous math classes for his Civil Engineering degree. 

Math, for one, is not a simple subject to teach, but Mr. Orozco steps into AHS bringing a positive attitude to teaching math every day because he understands that it is one of those subjects that students fear. Taking this into consideration, he supports his students and tries to meet them in the middle so that they can discover their own personal interests in the subject. 

“I try my best to inspire and show them that math is really applicable in the real world, not in just STEM fields, but it’s something that will always be around and is really useful,” stated Mr. Orozco. 

Setting math aside, Mr. Orozco’s goal for his students is for them to be the best version of themselves. He will always be there to teach them math, but more importantly, he is there to enrich each and every one of his students’ lives. 

As for his teaching methods, Mr. Orozco mixes up his style of teaching by implementing group work after his lectures, so that students do not feel bored and can communicate with one another while trying to solve problems. This is extremely crucial in math classes in order for students to learn from each other. Aside from that, he is always open to one-on-one inquiries with his students and provides them with lots of different opportunities to ask questions. This can be from something as simple as asking to having an anonymous Google Form so that they can feel comfortable to reach out to him with anything that is confusing.  

Mr. Orozco believes that the easiest part of teaching is doing the teaching itself, while the hardest part, he said, is to make sure that “every single type of learner in the class has an equal opportunity to learn” since every person learns in different ways, at different rates. Planning is another issue for teachers that takes a while to master because not all lessons might end up as manageable as others when it comes to making sure students understand what is being taught. Having said that, he has everything organized on Google Classroom with the completed notes for the day as well as the assigned homework. In addition, he occasionally brightens up the class by going on a fun but informative website like Desmos to give students an understanding of the lesson from different perspectives. 

Overall, a tip from Mr. Orozco to people interested in STEM, is that, “STEM is so accessible, and everyone is capable of doing it. That being said, if STEM is not your thing, that’s okay. These classes that we’re taking in math and science really apply to any walk of life the same way that humanities classes do also. Don’t be afraid of it, as long as you work hard and put the work in, anyone can achieve anything.” 

Looking into all of this, we wish all new AHS staff members many successes for the years to come, and we hope that they continue to inspire students.