As the first two months of school at Seton Hall Prep have come to a close and the students have transitioned from summer to fall.  The returning students have come back and settled in, or in the case of freshman, they have finally adjusted into the new school environment with new classmates and teachers.  We have also welcomed some new first year teachers here at The Prep this year.

I was able to do an interview with one of The Prep’s newest teachers, Mr. Brunkhorst, a new Physical Science and Chemistry teacher this year.  I was able to learn a little more about not only more the teacher himself, but also the process of moving into a new school from a teacher’s perspective and how his experience has been going.  I was also able to find out about how Mr. Brunkhorst came across Seton Hall Prep.

He is from Waldwick, New Jersey, which is about 35 minutes from The Prep.  Though it is a bit far away, Mr. Brunkhorst explained how Seton Hall Prep is a great school and after the opportunity arose, he took it immediately. He further explained how it was a pretty smooth transition from his old school, Indian Hills High School, to Seton Hall Prep, with only very minor difficulties.  This opportunity given to him was not something that he could not give up. Everyone, including the faculty, administration and students, were very welcoming and supportive towards him. This can be said for most teachers’ transitions in their first years here because Seton Hall Prep is known as a brotherhood not only among students, but also among the faculty members.

Mr. Brunkhorst has been teaching science for about four years now.  Prior to teaching, Mr. Brunkhorst worked in the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. Mr. Brunkhorst learned about this brotherhood we have at SHP from the many SHP alums he met while studying in college, which really interested Mr. Brunkhorst even though he had never heard of Seton Hall Prep before.

The way that Mr. Brunkhorst first started out teaching and found his love for teaching is from his experience as a student. He appreciated thee moment in which himself or another student was finally able understand a lesson, idea or concept. As a teacher, these moments have always brought a smile to his face because they make him feel accomplished and helpful as he has helped someone on their journey through life.  He also explained how he really enjoys when a student has a fascination with the subject matter and is curious on physical science or Chemistry, as well as when a student is excited to do a lesson, project, and learn new things not part of the original subject material. He enjoys the teaching aspects of being a teacher and helping students learn new things very much.  The only negative he could think of with his new job is the commute, which is very understandable.

Now that everyone has settled in after two months of school, the seniors are preparing for college, the sophomores and juniors are returning to continue another year at The Prep, and the freshmen are beginning a completely new journey.  We should not forget about the teachers who also have to adjust to their new school faculty coworkers, buildings, students, and much more. The teachers are an important part of school, and just like the freshman, are also in the hassle of a new beginning to a new school, which can make them both nervous or confident, like a brand new student.