Devin McInerney works with students at MHS in English 2 and Math 1. Photo by Makai Patterson.
Even though the school year is close to ending, there still remains room for more teachers and new hirees. Devin McInerney joined Malden High School as a new co-teacher for English 2 with sophomores and Math 1 with freshmen.
Devin grew up in Groton, Massachusetts and graduated from University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication. He worked a couple of different jobs before going back to American International College in 2014 for a Master’s degree in Education. Wilmington High School was the first school he was employed at full time as a paraprofessional. He was there until April of 2017 when he began working at Valley Collaborative Elementary in Tyngsboro, MA for two years. Then, he was brought to MHS.
McInerney chose co-teaching because, although teaching individually is just as important, “it takes a generous and selfless group of people to come together and stay focused on the larger picture, that of student success” which is the exact definition of team teaching.
Nierika Nims, one of the teachers that work with Devin, mentions how “he is a great teacher” and she appreciates the relationships McInerney has already built with students. Besides how Mr. McInerney is as a teacher, Ms. Nims says that as a person “he is very friendly and easy to get along with”.
Some difficulties that Devin has encountered so far “are behavioral issues,” as they can derail the whole class from reaching objectives or key points in a lesson. However, he does encourage students to do a number of things when they start to get distracted, “taking a break” is always an option or even “meeting with a counselor or preferred staff member.”
Devin also mentions how he tries his best to “validate students who may be having problems in class” but also reminds them that they are “an individual in a class of people who are all working towards an objective.” He may even pair students who are productive with those who are not as productive, to help them stay engaged instead of being a distraction to the class.
Regardless of all the difficulties that McInerney has come across, he enjoys his work. According to him “being a teacher is great because everyone in the school is focused on the students and their progress.”
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