BHS welcomes new teachers back to town

By FAITH MOLDAN / Bigfork Eagle

Two of Bigfork High School's new teachers are right back where they started from.

One is even in the same classroom she learned about world history in a few short years ago at BHS.

Lindsey Aldrich, a 2001 BHS grad, teaches world history in the same classrooom she learned about that subject. Aldrich teaches one honors world history class and five regular world history classes in her first year as a teacher at Bigfork. A teacher at Smith Valley last year, Aldrich said it was never a question as to what she would do as a career.

"I always wanted to be a teacher," she said. "My mom was a teacher. I helped her in her classrooom after school."

As for her choice of subject matter to teach, Aldrich said history has always interested her.

"It's interesting. You can learn so much and it still influences us today," Aldrich said.

At Smith Valley Aldrich, who earned her bachelor's at the University of Wyoming, taught social studies, physical education and health. She said teaching just world history is a nice change and what she was looking for.

"There's so many different cultures and so much you can do with it," she said of her class's subject matter.

Aldrich's classes are currently concentrating on Islam and other religions through different projects. Aldrich said she likes the different opinions she gets from the students and using more critical thinking in the honors class.

Although Aldrich challenges her students with lessons about Neanderthals, Ancient Egypt and the French Revolution, she keeps her classroom light with a "bad joke of the day" on one of the classroom's whiteboards. The students enjoy the jokes, Aldrich said.

"Their favorite is 'What did 0 say to 8?'" she said. The punchline is, "Nice belt."

Aldrich also enjoys the conversations she has with her students.

"There's been a few small problems here and there," Aldrich said of her first year at BHS. "But it's going well."

Hauna Trenerry's travels around the world brought her back to the Flathead Valley and a full-time teaching position at BHS.

A 2001 graduate of Columbia Falls High School, Trenerry earned her bachelor's at Carroll College where she also played soccer. Trenerry teaches Spanish to grades 9-12, using her experiences and travels in foreign countries.

"I've travelled to about 14 countries," Trenerry said. "Only four of them Spanish speaking."

Trenerry also studied in a foreign country. She attended La Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico. There she studied Mexican art and literature.

"I try to incorporate culture into my lessons," she said.

Trenerry also travelled to Nicaragua and Costa Rica, where she spent last winter surfing.

With six classes to teach, Trenerry said she's doing what she's always wanted to do — teach. She said the teachers at BHS have been helpful in helping her and the other new teachers settle in.

"The kids are pretty good," she said. "I'm getting positive feedback from the kids. They're getting into it."