Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Stanley
Teacher Highlight: Mr. Stanley
Alexis Stakem
Staff Writer
[email protected]
POV: You’re watching a prophecy unfold, and it’s undoubtedly captivating. The ancient word that had been carved into stone so long ago is coming to life before your very eyes. You’re in Mr. Roy Stanley’s fourth period AP Physics 1 class watching him explain the cruciality of charts when solving problems with the same fervor as his kin before him had spoken about their given subjects. You need to know more about this teacher -- never has anyone ever been so passionate about the usefulness of charts. It’s inspiring you to consider using them. Well, no need to worry, I exit from the shadows of the classroom to provide the answers, and you’re amazed.
The preordainment of Mr. Stanley’s teaching career originates from being a part of a long line of educators.
“My father, sister, aunt, two uncles, two great aunts, and four cousins all are or were teachers. And another uncle was head custodian of high school. So it’s in the blood,” Stanley said.
With the crushing weight of a life decision on his shoulders, Stanley found himself unsure of which subject he wanted to teach. However, he soon settled on Physics because of the relationship between math and science.
“I liked math. I liked science. I also knew I didn’t want to teach elementary kids because that’s not my thing. And I appreciated how the math and the science worked together in Physics,” Stanley said.
In teaching a class with more intricate, detail-oriented concepts it is necessary to present them in a way that is digestible for students.
“We try to teach Physics in such a way that we are teaching problem-solving methods. If you know the method, you can solve any problem so long as you follow the method. If you try to memorize specific problems, it just doesn’t work,” Stanley said.
Here. Here in lies the crux, the draw of this article. The explanation for the cruciality of making charts.
“For almost every method we teach, there is a chart you can use to help organize your data and solve the problem,” Stanley said.
And, do you know what you can accomplish by making a chart? Through organization?
“You can solve any problem,” Stanley said.
Besides taking on the insurmountable task of trying to convince high school students about the importance of organization, Mr. Stanley also holds the demanding, yet rewarding, position of Mini-THON co-advisor.
“When Mini-THON was started I was not in charge, but the teacher who had been was retiring. I had several members of the leadership team in my classes over the years and had seen what it had done for them as students. It made them more responsible, and it brought the school community together. I did not want Mini-THON to go away and there was a very real chance no one was going to pick up the advisor position, and Mini-THON wouldn’t be able to continue. So I threw my hat in the ring as someone who was interested in being an advisor,” Stanley said.
“I think my favorite thing is seeing what our students do after they leave here, and how they’re still involved with philanthropy and even create their own THON of sorts at their college -- just, seeing how, after high school, they still give their time to charitable causes.”
Physics can undoubtedly be a hard course, but Mr. Stanley is working overtime to make sure that the charts and methods are being taught in such a way that even the most disorganization-prone student considers making their life a little bit easier.