When we think of mapping out the next year of high school, we tend to think to ourselves, "I hope I get the classes I want," but it isn't just the students who have that thought cross their minds. Every school year at West Hills is different as students change classes, teachers, and activities. Students are used to that time during second semester when it is time to head up to the counseling office and choose their schedules for the upcoming year. But have you ever stopped to think about how this process effects the faculty members?
As students sign up for their classes for next year they are deciding the fate of each class. Of course classes such as English and Mathematics are mandatory in order to graduate, so they obviously aren't effected right? Wrong. In fact, the box you check on your schedule as you plan out what you want and need to take the following year is the very tool used to dictate what certain instructors will be teaching. For example, Tedd Brent, an excellent part of our English department, created the unique and exciting new class known as "Writing for the World." He came up with the idea for the class and saw to it that it was made into a part of West Hills. He succeeded three years ago and has been continuing on ever since, but his new class' survival is literally in the hands of the students. If not enough young adults checked his box, any of the periods that would have been "Writing for the World" become a normal college preparatory English class. To prove that he said, "This is the first year that I have had three 'Writing for the World' classes, and depending on how many normal English classes I have changes my schedule." Although Mr. Brent isn't the only one to face challenges with the Wolf Pack's choices. Debora Heeb, an incredibly talented Spanish teacher is also greatly affected by whether or not students choose specific classes. Some years she has taught Advanced Placement fourth year Spanish, some Honors, some college preparatory, and others she has taught a combination of the three. Without a doubt the teachers in her position persuade their students to continue on into these classes, but there is no guarantee that she, or any other teacher, will be teaching the same thing next year. Supporting that point she said, "I don't know exactly which level I will be teaching until we are coming back for summer vacation." Fortunately, all of the West Hills teachers are so intelligent and gifted that they will be ready for whatever the school throws at them.
Who will be the ones throwing these classes at them though? The answer lies just above our library. The counselors work tirelessly during that second semester and even over the summer to make sure that students have been given the classes that meet their wants and needs. They first focus on whether or not each student has a schedule that will help them fulfill the requirements for graduation, and then they try their best to get each student into classes that they feel best suits them. Giving insight on the whole operation, Mrs. Bean said, "We try to make sure that all of the students are where they need to be and get classes that they want as well." Once all of those specifications have been ironed out is when critical decisions have to be made. The counselors advise and guidance has placed the West Hills attendees where they need to be, and based on that the teachers' classes are decided on. Some of the classes may be cut, a few students may be moved around, but once all is said and done the teachers just have to hope they got the classes that they had been hoping for.
Year after year the faculty goes through this continuing cycle of change and uncertainty, fighting for the classes that they yearn to teach. It's a toss up every time classes are chosen, but no matter the outcome the West Hills faculty is prepared to enrich and enlighten their students in any of the classes they are given to instruct. They may have personal preferences, but they always find a way to make every class they teach feel unique and exciting.
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