It is another day, another class and another chapter in your “high school career,” but this year brings with it many fresh faces: Edwardsville has welcomed 10 new teachers to the high school.

This is the largest haul of new teachers in recent memory, so it is a given that most students at EHS will have some type of run-in with one of the 10 new teachers. One of the new teachers teaches orchestra, two teach French, two teach math, two teach applied tech and three teach English.

This is part 2 of 5 of the “New Year, New Teachers” series.

New teachers Ms. Jennifer Bernall, Mr. Dustin Davis and Ms. Lauren Mudge have just begun their first year of teaching English at EHS.

Having been a long-term substitute teacher at EHS before, Ms. Bernal returns to Edwardsville after a year of being a media specialist and tutor at Freeburg High School. This school year, she is responsible for her own classes and tutors kids for English, as well as sponsors the senior class.

Ms. Bernall enjoys seeing her students perform well in and out of school.

“My favorite aspect of teaching is watching my students grow. I enjoy being the motivating factor behind those who struggle and I like devoting my time to better their lives,” Ms. Bernall said.

Because she’s a former EHS teacher, Ms. Bernal is already familiar with the ins and outs at EHS, yet she didn’t mind a little help from the English department for making her return as easy as possible.

“All of my fellow cohorts have been helpful,” she said. “The English department is the best.”

When she’s not busy with her teaching duties, Ms. Bernal enjoys scrapbooking, reading, watching “The Big Bang Theory” and taking her dog, Louie, for walks. “I love romantic comedies!” she added.

Ms. Bernal will be working closely with the senior class throughout the year, but for starters look for her walking with the senior float at the homecoming parade.

Like Ms. Bernal, Mr. Davis is already rather acquainted with Edwardsville, but not as a former teacher; he’s an alumnus of the EHS class of 2006. He teaches some of the English classes and assistant-coaches the cross country team and the girls’ track team. Teaching and coaching have been his first career, and he loves it.

“I love seeing when a student produces something or learns something that they never thought possible. It’s much the same for coaching an athlete; seeing someone do something they never imagined doing,” Mr. Davis said.

Junior cross country captain Brydon Groves-Scott admires the motivation of his new coach.

“Mr. Davis is very inspiring and is a fun guy to train with,” he said. “He already has had many new ideas that he shared with us, which is cool and should make for a good season.”

Before coming to EHS, Mr. Davis had two teaching positions under his belt. However, the jump from his past jobs to his new job at his old high school is “definitely a transition,” he said.

“Going from student to staff, I already know my way around and am now working with people that I had as teachers,” Mr. Davis said, “but I love being back here and look forward to a terrific year.”

Similarly to the previous two teachers, Ms. Lauren Mudge is a new teacher that is not so new to Edwardsville, having been an alumna of EHS. Before coming to EHS, she did a variety of work in both public and academic libraries for several years and taught at a variety of other schools (including a school in China!), but now teaches some of the English classes.

Ms. Mudge puts an emphasis on providing an education that does not only teach students, but also empowers them to grow.

She loves “seeing the growth of [her] students not only academically, but also individually as democratic citizens in a global environment.”

Outside of the English class, Ms. Mudge adores music. According to her, she is about anything that is “music oriented, whether it being discovering new music, learning a new instrument, or going to concerts.” Having been enrolled in the Suzuki Violin program at a young age, she accredits her passion for music to her early exposure to it.

Her hobbies and interests also include many other things such as whipping up “adventurous” vegan meals in her kitchen and traveling abroad. “The first time I left the country, I went to the Amazon Rainforest!” Ms. Mudge said.

A fan of “Mean Girls” and “Rear Window,” “Special Topics in Calamity Physics” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and especially the household pet, the cat, Ms. Mudge is interested in the culture around her.

These three teachers have a whole year ahead of them, and if English department head Mrs. Heather Haskins has anything to say about it, they should have no problem making it “the best year ever.”

“I think the new teachers are great additions to the English department,” Mrs. Haskins said.  “Each has a fresh perspective on teaching, and I look forward to working with all of them.”