In the hushed hallways of McHenry High School, a new presence emerges, fresh-faced and eager to teach the stream of students coming into his classroom. Meet John Aubert, a first-year teacher whose every step seems to echo with a blend of anticipation and apprehension. As he enters the classroom, his room is filled with a wave of welcome and support, a mix of excitement and uncertainty as his first year of teaching continues.

Aubert is a new English teacher at MCHS. He went to Northern Illinois University and got his degree in journalism in fall of 2019.

After graduating, Aubert worked for the radio at 101.1, the Mix, and 97.1, The Drive. Then around the pandemic, Aubert decided to switch career pathways and became a teacher at MCHS in August of last year.

This is Aubert’s first year teaching at MCHS. He explained the overall academic year to be an overall positive one.

“I enjoy being in the classroom with kids teaching about literature and for College and Career Writing where I have kids make actual projects like resumes, cover letters, all that jazz to ensure that they’re for life post secondary education,” said Aubert.

Students express how Aubert has made them feel seen and understood, even as a first year teacher.

“He is very engaging with his students and doesn’t treat his students like he has the authority in the conversation,” said senior Hannah Covalt. “He doesn’t see you as just a student, but rather a peer and a real human being.”

Even with the array of students that Aubert has every day, he enjoys interacting with each of them.

“I work with a lot of great personalities,” said Aubert. “It’s been fun just to get to know them, share my stories, hear their stories, and just kind of build relationships in the classroom that are meaningful. It makes you like to do something good in the world.”

Many students can feel overshadowed by their teachers, though Aubert makes his classroom, and his personality, welcoming and supportive. Creating an engaging classroom for many.

“With him being so young, he remembers how he felt in high school and knows we’re going through the same things,” said Covalt. “So he’s very understanding and empathetic than, say, older teachers.”

Aubert’s first year of teaching has had good highlights, though he states that his coworkers are the best part of his job apart from his students.

“Mr. [Mitch] Stengel, my mentor, has been nothing short of amazing,” said Aubert. “He’s been there through it all, like good, bad. He’s been very motivating me to do the best I possibly can.”

Aubert has been working alongside Mr. Stengel with running Warrior Student Media’s “Warrior Weekly” while also partaking in the band “Staff Infection” at MCHS.

Aubert is not just a teacher; he is a beacon of compassion and encouragement. His students, once timid and unsure, open up and are empowered to stand taller by his unwavering support. Aubert is not just a teacher who teaches a simple English class, many can agree that he is one of many reasons why students may go to school every day.