There are all types of teachers with different classes and personalities. While some are veterans, new teachers are always coming in.
One of these new teachers is Mr. Ryan Holden, MV’s 3rd-year teacher. Mrs. Chelci Holden is also a teacher at M. She is a music teacher in the G-Wing. They have a daughter named Rylee Jo.
To get to know Mr. Holden better, he answered some questions about himself.
What were your first thoughts about the school when applying? ¨I was actually in kind of a unique position when I applied to the school. I was able to not only student teach with Mrs. Todd before I applied, but I spent a good amount of time on campus because of Mrs. Holden. There were many events that I attended here on campus due to her involvement (concerts, theater productions, etc.). My first impressions were that this school had an amazing number of opportunities for both students and educators. I knew that working here would be a fantastic place to practice instruction and create meaningful relationships with students,¨ said Mr. Holden.
What is something interesting about science to you, ¨Science as a whole is constantly changing and is by far the most dynamic subject. New inventions and new innovations are always happening in the field, so science is the perfect place for someone who is such a huge advocate for lifelong learning,¨ said Mr. Holden.
What are your hobbies and interests?, ¨When I am not teaching or at theater rehearsal, you can usually find me at home taking full advantage of family time. Spending time with my toddler is so very rewarding and I look really forward to those times because I also get to share them with Mrs. Holden. My independent hobbies include voraciously reading and shamelessly binging as many tv shows as possible,¨ Mr. Holden stated.
As we can see, Mr. Holden enjoys teaching, which is reflected in what his students have to say.
What is your favorite lesson he has taught? ¨Mitosis and Miosis – to review we played Trashketball,¨ said Jakiya Sosa, ‘26.
Other teachers in the science department were able to weigh in on Mr. Holden.
¨He has added two classes to our curriculum, more stability within the department, and high standards,¨ said Mrs. Diane Todd, Department Chair.
¨Ḧe has brought a renewed sense of enthusiasm and brings a fresh take on how we science teachers see education,¨ said Mr. Chris McCann.
Mr. Holden serves as a freshman Biology teacher for Team A in the Freshman Academy. He teaches Biology, Flesh and Bone, and Ecology, and he will teach Biopsychology next year.
Principal Mr. Rowdy Fatheree shared some thoughts on Mr. Holden, including how he started teaching during the 2020 pandemic year of COVID-19.
What has he added to the culture? ¨A large depth of knowledge in his content area with his prior experience in the collegiate level,” Mr. Fatheree stated.
Is there anything unique about them? ¨His wife working here and them both being assets on campus,¨ Mr. Fatheree added.
What would you tell someone when describing him ¨He´s self-driven and goal-oriented, wants to get better, and strives for perfection.¨ said Mr. Fatheree.
What were the challenges of COVID-19 during his first year? ¨It´s difficult to coach someone on the unknown when you haven´t done it either, therefore you rely on flexibility and grace to work together as a team,¨ said Mr. Fatheree.
It looks like Mr. Holden is here to stay.