Opinions have always been heated within the walls of Cresskill High School. Who’s the best teacher? What’s the best subject? If you’re a Cresskill student, you’ve likely pondered both. The result, what department has the best teachers? Some may have a favorite teacher, but is that teacher’s expertise overshadowed by the strength of another department? Today, I’m asking students to weigh in on which department stands out the most. Read on to hear what fellow students at Cresskill think about each department at CHS.
BEST: Science Department
With 14 out of 30 of the student’s first place votes, the science department has proven itself to be the highest ranking department at CHS. This is due to the hands-on nature of the subject, and the approaches that the teachers choose to take. Sophomore Ryan Woo explains that science teachers make difficult concepts easier to understand through interactive labs as well as in-class demonstrations. “The experiments are what help me to comprehend the material we learn,” he says. “In classes like English, we just read or write and I never know what’s going on.”
Another student mentions how the teachers in this department turn their dislike for science into excitement. “I used to hate science because I always had bad grades,” shares Erin Kim. “But when I took 9th-grade biology with Mr. Boita, I looked forward to his class every day. His notes were so easy to follow and his labs helped me to understand the topics.”
History:
History, coming in at a close second, with 9 out of 30 votes, excels at making the past feel relevant.
While some believe history to be on the boring end of subjects, Yuval Yochai argues, “The history teachers don’t just go on and on about who died in the past—they encourage us to collaborate in class and actually learn about why and how these events affected us.”
“I remember one time, in World History, Mr. Surgent assigned us a project where we would make an advertisement that would have been shown during the Industrial Revolution,” adds Dariya Grechanikov. “We got to present to the class with a skit and the whole experience helped me to understand the period way better than regular textbook reading.”
ELA:
The English Department came in third, with 3 out of 30 votes. Students appreciated how the teachers in this department pushed them to think deeper, but seemed to dislike all the reading involved in the curriculum.
“The teachers in this department are great, they’re the best in the school if I may,” shares an anonymous Junior, “But I hate reading so much every single year, especially the Shakespearean texts sophomore year. Worst unit ever.”
On the other hand, those who liked the subject really liked it. “Freshman year English was so fun I loved having Mrs. DeMarco,” says Aiden An. “She always made class so interactive with her jokes and funny comments and I miss having her as a teacher!”
“WORST” Math:
Finishing last, only 2 out of 30 students voted for the Math Department. “It’s not that I don’t like the teachers, they’re all good at what they do, ” Matthew Yi explains. “I just don’t like working with numbers so math makes my head hurt.”
And while the Math Department only received 2 votes, their teachers are still greatly appreciated by all the students at CHS. “Even in a subject as annoying as math I was still able to enjoy the class,” says Timothy Shim.
In the end, each department has its strengths. Whether it’s engaging labs in science or thoughtful discussions in English, it’s clear that Cresskill High School students are lucky to have such talented and dedicated teachers in each department.
