John H Reagan High School - Spur Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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-Hi. ]• H31 »-rpl»;n an aaahsis problem oo the o ' eriiead projetrtor to her fourth period class. Ms. Hill was also chairman of the Math department. £0 3- 99

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£i ll0ii grO Q)€. T After talking to Mrs. Jo Hill for a few minutes, it was easy to see why she became chairman of the Math department. She was an outgoing and involved lady who loved her job. It (a teacher) is the only thing I ever wanted to be; it was my goal. I ' ve wanted it since I was eight years old, related Ms. Hill. She went on to explain that she had been teaching for 27 years, the last 17 at Reagan. And she has taught every math there is, from Fundamentals of Math to Calculus, with the exception of Computer Math. About being chairman, Ms. Hill said, I wanted it, I got it, and I ' m happy right now. She also added It takes good teachers to be chairmen, not just in math, but in all departments. One thing that made her responsibilities as chairman easier was the extra hour off she got. She used this time to talk to other teachers and even take over their classes if they were absent. I was chairman of the Math dept. before the big split between Reagan and LBJ. I had 21 teachers then and no extra hour, explained Ms. Hill. Now she has it slightly easier, with 1 1 teachers and two part-time teachers. The only problem the Math department had didn ' t involve books, overhead projec- tors, or any other supplies, it involved the teachers themselves. Mrs. Hill explained that the Math department had a big turn-over with teachers; none of them were staying in the department for any length of time. Students need to see the same teachers year after year, and work with the same teachers. This way the teachers and kids can become closer, and the teachers will become interested in the students ... I just wish we could keep Math teachers and get more kids interested, emphasized Mrs. Hill. Junior My Le prepares to lake the National Maih Exam. j;k w Stephanie Ledesma learns that two heads are belter than one as she helps Dennis Turnipseed in Analysis. ;M5. Sybil Kingston explains a proof for . he Geometry class. CO One of Ms. Ginger Hert ' s many duties included plac- ing absence slips on the classroom door. This was Ms. Hert ' s first year to teach Computer Math at Reagan. Ms. Jane Delaney helps Steve Reeves with h programming. After transferring from LBJ. sophomore Stephanie Wright learns thai algebra is just as hard here as it was there. 98

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0) o c 0) o CO WliL r- ' t§i . . .T ' Have you ever wondered who is respon- sible for ordering the formaldehyde your cat sits in before you dissect him? Or who buys the paper the chemistry tests are printed on? Mr. William Manahan is your man. As chairman of the Science department, he ordered everything from erasers to duplicating machines, and then some. It ' s very lime-consuming. There just aren ' t enough hours in the day. I ' m very busy, he said. Mr. Manahan said he got his position certainly not by volunteering, but because all the teachers got together and decided I was the only one who knows where everything is. His most important duty, he says, is reviewing the curriculum, or as he puts it making sure we ' re teaching what needs to be taught. Every dept. had certain guidelines it is supposed to follow, and he is responsible for making sure the Science dept. follows those guidelines. Over the years, Mr. Manahan has learned one thing about students. They go through cycles. Right now they are on the upswing, complacemenl. But there are those which have reading and writing problems. We have to water down (make overly simple) such subjects as science and math, he commented. The reward for teaching, to Mr. Manahan, is having ex-students who have gone through college come back and remember you and what you taught them. And there is some satisfaction in it. After a while you feel you need to contribute something to society, he said. Frahman Cheryl Jones weighs a kilogram mass to determine the friction of a surface in Mr. Szen- drey ' s Physical Science class. Getting hydrochloric acid Irom the supply table is one Julie Rod looks at the results of her tests in the With the same authority he uses to coach hisiiethill. of the steps John Perkins must do to complete his lab chemistry lab. Coach Gail Simpson explains the DNA factor, assignment. No fish out of water, Mr. Jeff Schwarz knows how to handle the ladies when the choir Mi. Suzanne SinUn shows her freshman physical brings him a singing Valagram during his Oceanography class on Valentine ' s Day. science class how to conduct a lab experiment Delivering the message are Rebecca Ancira, Patty Bailey and Lori Entrop. with chemicals and beaker. 100