Family or Faculty?

Mrs.+Smith+and+Mrs.+McShane+lovingly+embrace+eachother.

Brett Beaulieu

Mrs. Smith and Mrs. McShane lovingly embrace eachother.

Liam Russell and Brett Beaulieu

        Since his youth, Alphonso Lopez had always wanted to spend his days catching criminals. However, after he took his first criminology class, he developed a “love” for what had once been a simple interest. When asked what made him enjoy the class so much, the culprits were clear, and that’s where our case begins.

        When Mrs. Ham joined the Ipswich High School staff a decade ago, one kind face showed through them all. The head of the mentorship program, Mr. Krieger, had a kind nature and a sense of humor just as wry as Mrs. Ham’s. It was only natural that one day they would be friends. Soon enough, the two would develop an interdisciplinary class, which would hold testament to not only their strengths as educators, but the respect and trust held between the two.

        Years later, their Criminology and Forensics class has become a staple of the Ipswich High School program of studies, to the point where many students can’t imagine being without it. However, when Mrs. Ham and Mr. Krieger first pitched their idea, some people thought it was simply too radical. The Criminology curriculum was an unprecedented mix of science and social studies with an utterly original syllabus. Truly, it could have only come from the minds of two people with a blend of unbreakable chemistry, and a real desire to make a change.

        Luckily for Ipswich High School students, Mrs. Ham and Mr. Krieger are only one of many great teacher friendships students can see when they walk in the door each morning. Though it may not be obvious to everyone, students are not the only people who see their best friend each day.

        When Mrs. Panciera first met Mrs. Werner, she never knew they would be coworkers. Like most great partnerships through history, they met at the Rowley Library book club, and they immediately struck it off. When Mrs. Werner applied for a job at IHS, Mrs. Panciera was happy to give her best recommendation, even though she never could have anticipated what a “rockstar teacher” Mrs. Werner would one day become. Though Mrs. Panciera was once introducing a rookie Mrs. Werner to our school, Mrs. P will now openly admit how much she has learned professionally from her friend. She really admires how “cutting edge” Mrs. Werner is in regards to incorporating new ideas to her classes, and Mrs. P says it is great to have “someone on staff who is a great friend, but also a great colleague.”

        Of course, when discussing the great teacher friendships of Ipswich High School, no partnership gets as much recognition as Mr. Sargent and Mrs. Chandler. Though many said that the science and English departments would never mix, the power couple of Ipswich High proved them wrong. Even Mr. Sargent admitted it was “not a natural blend” on the professional level, but it made him even prouder of the couple’s most recent success, the course Science and Ethics. Mr. Sargent was clear that he knew that most “arguments in world right now aren’t English arguments,” and was incredibly open to learn from Mrs. Chandler as both a person and a scientist.

        Any student who has ever roamed the halls of Ipswich High School knows that there are more than three pairs of teacher best friendships. While duos such as Mrs. Ham and Mr. Kreiger are already known to frolic through the halls and spread their love of education, new besties are being found every day, and that’s what makes IHS special. It truly is a place where teachers, and students, can come together each day to enjoy the company of people they love, and maybe even learn a little bit too.

P.S. If you are a teacher reading this, and thinking, “Wow, being part of a dynamic duo sounds great, but I don’t know where to start!”, it is totally okay. Not every teacher best friendship can magically meet at the Rowley Library like Mrs. P and Mrs. Werner. That’s why Brett Beaulieu and Liam Russell are happy to present the Tiger Transcript Teacher Matchmaker! If you give us a sheet of information with your interests and hobbies we will happily set you up with another kind, motivated teacher from another department! 

Tiger Transcript Teacher Matchmaker: Because Some Friendships Aren’t Made in Heaven, But By Brett and Liam.