Every Friday, the sound of a guitar playing can be heard in Freshman Academy. Within the flood of students using their passing period to get to their next class, interact with other students and staff, or just hang around, the airwaves emanating from one man’s speaker stands out.

“I spent the first part of the year setting expectations, building trust, and developing routines to help the rest of the year run smoothly,” said Moore, who was hired by MV in 2019. “I give students opportunities to create things together, and do my best to make learning meaningful.”

As a teacher of English I and American Literature, Moore encounters various members of the student body as well as colleagues in the English Department. These colleagues – according to Moore – stand out from former coworkers of his.

“The staff members are very close to one another, like a family. I haven’t witnessed anything like that at any of the schools I have worked with in the past.”

While synergy remains a major factor in working effectively at MV, Moore himself can be considered unorthodox in his teaching.

“What sets me apart from average teachers is my willingness to try something new and fail. I try and incorporate one new project, assignment, or method of instruction per week. If I do that each year, I’ll have a pretty great curriculum in no time.”

Moore’s aforementioned curriculum includes incorporating The Rolling Stones and Iron Maiden, as well as using escape rooms and dressing up as a gladiator. But the escapade Moore is most well-known for is his guitar-playing in Freshman Academy.

“At my last school, the English department played music through radios outside their classroom and I was encouraged to play music as well. So I brought one of my favorite six-strings and played guitar in the hallway.”

Moore has since brought his tradition to MV, playing guitar every Friday in the hallway outside his classroom.

“It was a fun way for my students to see me as a person with interests and hobbies, rather than just a person. It opened the gateway for me to talk about discipline, and how learning isn’t limited to what we do in class.”