Written by Cecelia Gill.
American Sign Language (ASL) students may have noticed a new face in the classroom, one similar to fellow teacher Matthew McKay.
Joseph McKay has stepped in as a full-time substitute teacher for Sign Language classes at the high school. Being a full-time substitute means that instead of subbing for a different classroom each day, Joseph is subbing in the same classroom over the course of the semester, in this case he is subbing for previous teacher Jill Maxwell, who left at the end of semester one.
However, Joseph doesn’t have any background in Sign Language, which leaves people wondering how the classroom runs.
ASL students take an online course independently while trying to reach specific markers at certain times. Even though most of the work in the classroom is done online, Joseph brings positivity and organization to the class and helps students in whatever way he can.
“One of the things that I try to do is facilitate learning,” Joseph said. “I’m mainly here to provide some structure, I can form bonds with kids and try to get to know them better to help guide them on how they could learn.”
As some could imagine, taking an entire course online is challenging for both the teacher and the student. Sophomore Rory Morter is currently taking ASL and has had Joseph throughout the semester. He admits that the course can become difficult however he recognizes all that Joseph brings to the classroom.
“When [Joseph] realizes we’re all having a rough time in the class, he’ll bring a small game we can play so we’re excited for the rest of the week,” Morter said. “He’s really encouraged me to keep pushing forward and to learn more ASL.”
Joseph isn’t completely new to the district as he graduated from the high school in 2001. He is also recognized by students from the previous substituting jobs he has done around the district along with the fact that his younger brother Matthew is a social studies teacher.
“I have a great rapport with the students, so they knew that I would be a person that would be able to take on the task of trying to help them focus on what they should be doing in the classroom,” Joseph said.
Joseph’s current job has led to a bigger goal for the future. Joseph wishes to further his substituting career and become a teacher. He has found his passion for teaching through the connections he can share with his students.
“Seeing that you’ve made an impact on kids is really something that you can’t find in any other job,” Joseph said.
His love for the job has also been influenced by the many people in his life who have had similar experiences.
“I have my brother who’s a teacher, I’ve had my grandparents who have been teachers, I’ve had family, friends and everything, and now that I’ve had the experience I definitely think it is rewarding,” Joseph said.
Joseph’s inspiration hasn’t only been from relatives, but also from previous teachers he’s had at the high school. Tina Ely, a current math teacher at the school, has made a strong impression on Joseph.
“[Ely] was a great teacher that always had me trying to learn more and it’s great to now be working with her,” Joseph said.
Matthew and Joseph shared a positive experience in Ely’s class. During their high school years, they had the same math class together, taught by Ely, and have had many fond memories of it.
“It’s fun to now be in the staff lounge eating lunch with her, my brother and I get to reminisce what it was like when we were here,” Matthew said.
Matthew isn’t just excited that he gets to have his brother working with him, but he’s also sure of what Joseph brings to the district and the impact he will have on students’ lives.
“I think [Joseph] has really found a passion, he really cares about trying to help students, which is exactly what you need to be a good teacher,” Matthew said.