by Kaylee Borelli

JHS geometry teacher Cory Densford greets his students as they walk into his classroom with a warm welcome and a fist bump.

“I want to form a good relationship with my students,” said Densford

This is Densford’s 13th year teaching at JHS, and throughout those years, he has grown significantly as a teacher and has also learned things that have shaped him into the teacher he is today.

“My first year was terrible because I didn’t know anything,” stated Densford. “Relationships are the most important part of teaching. It doesn’t matter what you say to a kid if they won’t listen to you, and the way you get them to listen to you is by building a personal relationship, especially on the first days of school. Learning their names, what they like, and what they don’t like is probably the most important thing.”

Along with learning throughout the years, he has also had many challenges that he has faced.

“Sometimes there is a personality issue between you and a kid that is always a big challenge, and navigating that when the student and I have different ideas of how class should run, there is always a big challenge,” explained Densford. “Navigating the logistics of a school sometimes and not having enough of a resource or where you get a resource is always a challenge, especially if you’re brand new.

Densford recalls back to his years at JHS and how much his Algebra II teacher, Mr. Clark, influenced and inspired him to go into teaching.

“I knew I wanted to teach when I was a kid. I wanted to go into something that helped people,” said Densford. “I thought I wanted to become a doctor, but that was not going to do it once I got a little bit older. It was my Aalgebra II and calculus teacher, Mr. Clark, who made me want to become a math teacher.”

Densford’s students have mentioned that they have learned a lot in his class and that Densford has truly helped them understand the concept of geometry.

“He teaches very quickly and efficiently and makes sure you understand the material,” said freshman Chloe Kallbrier. “He actually makes me understand geometry.”

Another student also details how Densford has impacted them.

“He helps me when I get nervous during a test,” said freshman Makaylynn Nguyen. “He’ll tell me my score on the test and show me that I did well.”

Other students also describe Densford very positively.

“He’s funny, nice, and he’s also respectful,” said Nguyen. “He’s actually helped me learn.”

Densford explained why he loves teaching at JHS and why he keeps coming back to teach every year.

“Nothing else is as fulfilling as teaching,” explained Densford. “Getting to see people helps a lot, and I have a friend who works at a call center, and he works from home, but whenever we hang out, he’s always jealous that my job is fulfilling.”

Densford wants to ensure that he leaves a lasting impression on his students once they step out of his classroom for the last time.

“I want them to remember the good times we had together,” said Densford. “We did a lot of math, but I’m a pretty goofy guy, and I would love for them to remember the fun that we had along the way.”