This year, Greeley welcomed Mr. Andrew Zenker as a new math teacher, teaching three different math courses. As a former Greeley student who graduated in 2004 and teacher from 2015-2017, Mr. Zenker is thrilled to have the opportunity to be back and teach here again.

What has been your favorite part about Greeley so far?
I started my teaching career here in 2016-2017, and after six years away, [I] am excited to be back working alongside old friends and colleagues in the math department. And it has been a thrill for me, as a Greeley grad, to get to work at my old school. I have also been very impressed by how engaged my students are.

What is your favorite subject to teach?
I love teaching Enriched Geometry at Greeley because it’s so different [from] other math classes. The emphasis on proof and logical reasoning is what makes it unique.

How are you maintaining Greeley values of integrity, inclusion, and sustainability in your classroom?
I try to model integrity in everything I do as a teacher. I like to be forthright with students about the decisions I make, and I aim to be dependable and always to do the right thing. I try to make my classroom a place where everyone feels comfortable and [students feel like what] they have to say matters. As for sustainability, l used to be an overuser of the copy machine, but this year I am making a concerted effort only to make copies when absolutely necessary.

What, if any, difficulties did you face adjusting to this new environment?
Honestly, the only difficulty l’ve faced is that I am working on a Mac for the first time ever. That has been a big adjustment. I get frustrated because I know what I want to do but can’t do it as quickly as I’m used to on a PC. Otherwise, I feel like my transition has been seamless.

What was something surprising about Greeley when you came?
I don’t think anything has been surprising. I have a leg up on the other new teachers since I went here as a student and worked here before.