By Alex Kirshner ‘18
THE ROUNDUP

There are a large number of courses offered at any school, and even more teachers who are able to teach them.

So, how are teachers assigned to the classes they teach?

With core classes such as math and science, teachers who have experience in the field or have been educated in the topic they are teaching make some decisions straightforward. Also, teachers often teach classes based on their passion for the subject.

Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs Mr. Seamus Walsh said that teachers often propose electives to teach.

“If somebody’s got a good idea, share it and let’s see if it’s got traction,” he said.

One new class, AP Capstone, is in its first year of existence on campus.

Mr. Mike Welty, who is the AP Capstone teacher, said that he began teaching the AP Capstone class because of his desire to be a reader for AP Physics.

“I looked to become a reader for AP Physics, so I applied,” he said. “Then I got an email back that said ‘Hey would you be interested in reading for this new course AP Seminar,’ which is part of the AP Capstone program.”

Mr. Welty said it didn’t take long for him to implement the class into Brophy’s curriculum, and that he talked to Mr. Walsh in order to teach it.

“As soon as I came back from the first reading, I said that it was a great course and it was a course we should be teaching,” he said.

The class only has 10 students in it this year, but Mr. Welty is hoping for the class to grow to either one or two classes of 25 students.

English and social studies teachers propose senior electives based on their passions for the topic.

Mr. John Damaso, who is the chair of the English Department, said that teachers propose electives on subjects that they have deep interest in.

“I think it all comes from a place of passion,” he said.