Chemistry students at Oxford High School might notice something a little unusual once they return from Christmas vacation.
After all, how often is it you have a teacher suddenly talking in a British accent, a la Monty Python?
Or how about if that teacher decides to sing in class ? not necessarily to sound good but almost guaranteed to make a choir teacher run screaming for the doors?
Employing such ‘zingers? is 27-year-old Nick Yinger, who is taking over as chemistry teacher for Brian Agar, who is now retired.
Yinger studied environmental chemistry at the University of Michigan-Flint. A 1999 graduate of Fenton High School, he is familiar with Oxford.
?[Oxford’s] a beautiful school,? he said. ‘When you see the building, it looks massive, imposing and very nice-looking. I’ve always known this is a nice area with great people and a great community. It looked like an ideal place to teach.?
He added: ‘I like to move around a lot, constantly doing or building something. Even when I’m lecturing, I have demonstrations and projects set up. I rarely ever sit still.?
For someone filled with energy, chemistry is an ideal subject to be teaching.
‘I like the feeling of being able to do stuff that students find interesting,? Yinger said. ?[Chemistry’s] a little more exciting to teach than other subjects. You can blow stuff up. It’s also kind of fun to play the role of magician every now and then.?
Yinger sees a good teacher as someone who’s dedicated.
A lack of dedication to students will render having a knowledge of teaching styles useless, he said.
‘Instead of just showing up and teaching, you have to make sure the students have what they need,? he explained. ‘They have to absorb the lesson.?
As he begins his job at OHS, Yinger hopes to do an excellent job teaching in the AP classes along with getting a science club going at the school.