Cross country coach Ray West has been teaching and coaching at Heavener High School for 11 years. This year Coach West is teaching a class called Current Events. This is a new class for Coach West, but he believes he will help his students gain a better understanding of the events going on around them. He began his new by teaching and going over the handbook. He discussed the politics in the handbook and had the class write a paper over what they would change about it. Coach West hopes his students will take real-life experiences and gain knowledge from them and be able to become responsible future citizens, voters, and taxpayers later on in life. I interviewed 2 students who told me how they felt about taking Coach West’s Current Events Class. When asked about this class, Senior Madison Standifer said, “I feel like it is a great class and it is a great way to learn about what I have to say. The discussions we have are great and it’s cool to learn other people’s perspectives on the topics we talk about.” Junior Darren Sanders elaborated "I really enjoy this class. I feel like my ideas are heard and someone will actually care about what I have to say. The way Coach West teaches makes the class enjoyable by joining in on whatever it is we are doing.” Coach West also wants to gain and learn from teaching this class. “ In education you’re always trying to gain new ideas and concepts from the kids. I feel like I will be able to learn more things that are going on right now and help me become a better teacher.”
Photo by Keily Brown