Ringing in the new year

With the first bell of the school year still resounding through the

halls of Burbank High School, Doug Grimshaw stood among rushing

throngs of students, directing any who were confused toward the

proper classrooms to receive their schedules for the first day of

class.

“That room is down the hall to the right,” Grimshaw told a

student. “I think.”

Thursday was students’ first day back to school -- but it was also

Grimshaw’s first day of school as a teacher at Burbank High School.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, I’m so excited,” Grimshaw said

before students arrived in his classroom. “I’m excited mostly to meet

the students, and find out what they’re capable of and what they’re

expecting of me.”

Grimshaw, who will teach 10th-grade world history and 12th-grade

government, spent the first day of class going over rules and

expectations with students as he stood in front of a large white

board that had the words “Welcome Back” written in big, blue letters.

“We’ll do some easy stuff today, I’m sure they’re still in summer

mode,” Grimshaw said of his plans for the first day’s instruction.

“Tomorrow I’ll get them thinking about history and geography, we’ll

do some writing about maps.”

Grimshaw, who obtained his communications degree from USC and his

teaching credential from Cal State Northridge, plans on using a

variety of historical sources to enthuse the returning students for

learning about government and history.

“I want to use different perspectives, not just the text books,”

he said. “I want to use as many different sources as I can, so I can

give them as many perspectives as possible.”

He also plans on seeking other teachers’ advice on how to best

present lesson plans.

“I’ll be seeing what other materials teachers have that I can

use,” he said. “I’m basically starting from scratch, so hopefully

I’ll be able to modify some things to suit my own style.”

Spencer Anderson, a 10th-grader, said he expected to “learn about

lots of old stuff” in Grimshaw’s history class in the coming year.

Spencer, who looks forward to the school’s football season, is

optimistic about having Grimshaw as a new teacher.

“He seems pretty cool,” he said.

Danny Amirian, a 10th-grader in Grimshaw’s first-period class, who

was less than enthused about having to return from summer vacation,

said he often feels sympathy for new teachers.

“Sometimes they mess up,” he said. “They learn after they teach.”

But Grimshaw feels comfortable about his first year as a teacher,

partially because he did the student teaching for his credential at

Burbank.

“It was great,” he said. “Both of the teachers I worked with gave

me control of the class. I was free to make my own mistakes and

they’d give me feedback so I could learn from them.”

Student teaching at the school also helped him become familiar

with its students, he said.

“I know a lot of students already,” he said, “It makes me much

less nervous, it helps when I see class lists and see names I know.”

Ramona Nahapetian, a 10th-grader in Grimshaw’s second-period

history class, enjoys having teachers who are new to their career.

“It’s better,” she said. “I think new teachers like to have more

fun.”

Ramona was enthusiastic not only about having a new teacher, but

about returning to school.

“I’m so happy,” she said. “I’ve been home all summer playing video

games. I was like ‘finally, it starts!’”