When August comes around, new beginnings spring up for several. This includes a new year, a new schedule and new material.
Along with the novelties the fall semester brings, the school introduced nine new teachers.
The Bear Witness reached out to all nine teachers, however not all responded.
Football coach and ELA teacher Trey Camps will complete his seventh-year teaching as he completes his first year at Cambridge.
Before joining Cambridge, Camps taught at Woodstock High School for two years. He has coached football for as long as he’s been teaching.
“I just enjoy being around kids and having an impact on them I love coaching because I get to build those relationships with them,” said Camps.
In college, he was in an athletic training class, but “I realized I just got bored in it,” he said.
Camps decided to dive into the education part of athletic training and became a teacher.
“I knew I wanted to coach…I just enjoy football,” he said with a smile.
As time goes by, Camps is settling into the school’s community.
“I’ve really enjoyed the transition [into Cambridge], I’ve been a lot happier the past few weeks,” he said.
In the school’s science department, Sara Willard is a new Chemistry and Physical Science teacher.
Willard taught at Northview High School for two years, and then worked at Johns Creek High School for the past 14 years.
Willard will complete her 17th year in the Cambridge community.
“Teaching is perfect to marry my passion for science and helping people,” said Willard.
Willard said she’s always had a nurturing side to her, so teaching has always been something that spoke to her.
“I’ve always gravitated towards helping students and kids of all ages,” she said.
Willard said she’s looking forward to seeing the school’s cave and, “how things are done the bear way.”
Unexpectedly, it isn’t the first time at the school for all of Cambridge’s new teachers.
ELA teacher Nora Stone was a student teacher at the school before officially working here.
“It’s really awesome to be back at Cambridge…my experience was really positive,” said Stone. “Mrs. Butler taught me everything I know…she was my mentor.”
Before returning to the school, Stone was teaching sixth grade at Gwinnett. She said she easily said yes to teaching at Cambridge because she was repeatedly commenting on how amazing this school is while she was teaching middle school.
“I feel like since it’s a small school you get to know the students more, and the other teachers more,” said Stone. “We definitely have a strong community here.”
Previous to her teaching career, Stone worked in a law firm for three years, but she truly wanted to teach.
“I always loved English, and I had some amazing teachers who inspired me,” she said. Stone was then motivated to go back to school and get her master’s degree.
Stone’s teachers played a critical role in her profession. They influenced her to become a teacher, and to be the teacher she is today.
“The teacher who I remembered the most were the ones who went out of their way to form a relationship with students,” said Stone, who follows the same initiative.
She prioritizes supporting her students, and ensuring they know she’s there for them.
“Maya Angelou said that people forget what you said, people forget what you did but they’ll never forget how you made them feel,” Stone said. “That’s pretty much my teaching philosophy.”
