Teacher Spotlight: “Riding the wave” with science teacher, Alex Riley

In his first three months of teaching, Alex Riley has already shown why Urbana High School needs more teachers like him.

From the first day of school, Riley’s aura of positivity was bouncing off the walls in the classroom. His fast cadence and high energy, combined with his young appearance, made it pretty obvious that this was his first year teaching. At first, it seemed like the same old cliche of the new, super-motivated, laidback teacher, who over time would turn into the unmotivated, bitter, and strict teacher. But after meeting with him and being in his class for three months, it has become clear that that is not the case.

At first Riley’s quirkiness and positivity seemed like it was just a facade put on to try to seem different from the average teacher. However, from my experience of being in his class for a solid amount of time, it’s quite apparent that his quirkiness isn’t an act he puts up but rather his genuine self. When Riley was asked to tell us about himself, he further backed up that claim.

“I am a generally positive person…[I am] happy to be around, happy to be doing anything. I like to try new things, explore and to be outside. My favorite things are: my daughter Violet, being outside or anything outdoors and learning new things.”

Riley, in his first year at Urbana High School, is faced with the challenge of teaching two types of groups with different dynamics: freshman biology and AP Environmental Science. When asked why he teaches those subjects specifically this is what he had to say.

“Biology is my background, I have a master’s degree in Biology, I absolutely love biology, I loved it since I took it as a freshman. I just think it is a really cool subject. Why I teach AP Environmental is because a lot of the parts of biology that I’m most excited about: ecology, evolution, [are] things that really interface well with environmental science. I think that environmental science is cool because it is a chance to link up basically every other science in a really meaningful applied way and I think that is a really fun subject to teach. It is also that your generation, the students of today, really need a strong foundation in understanding the environment maybe above all other issues, because you are going to face unprecedented challenges related to the environment.”

Throughout the year, Riley has consistently asked the class for feedback on the curriculum which has shown his willingness to learn and adapt. With Mr.Riley even admitting he has had to adapt throughout the year, saying that, “…classroom management is something I have had to change in my approach.”

That willingness to change is what showcases what is most important for him, which is (obviously) the students’ experience. With him even going on to say that his least favorite part about teaching is “not being able to give everyone the one-on-one attention that would really be a more positive experience for them.”

And that…

“You know highschool its- I don’t want to say mandatory but we’ll call it ‘fundatory,’ so figuring out how to set up a classroom in a way where students are empowered to succeed and also where no one or two people can disrupt everyone’s learning has been a challenge and I’m working on it.”

There are two defining characteristics that make Riley a good teacher. First is his passion for the subjects he teaches. Throughout the entire interview Riley emphasized how nature is such an important aspect in his life. That love for nature Riley has is what makes his classes interesting. He is aware that most of the time students don’t want to be at school, but it is his genuine interest in the things he teaches that forces him to find a way to make the material as interesting to his students as it is to him.

Tied for second are his youth (which may not be literal as he refuses to tell anyone his age) and positivity, which are intertwined. Those attributes make him a much more approachable person. For a high schooler, you feel much more at ease, in hand making it much easier to form a connection with him.

When asked to describe what it’s like being a teacher in three words, I expected some sort of positive pun, so when he said “Riding a wave” I was a bit surprised. But after thinking about it, his quote really encapsulated who he is: someone finding a way to make the best out of every situation.