Math teacher Tyler Lingle, although new to OHS teaching Algebra II and Honors Algebra II, is already adored by many students. In addition to teaching, though, Lingle sponsors the Chess Club and is a technical director for the OHS Theater Company, where he uses his skills in math to help him succeed.
Being new to teaching can be a struggle for many, and math teacher Lingle learned this firsthand.
“It was definitely difficult getting into the schedule of having to wake up very early and then working an eight-hour shift…” Lingle said. “Once you get over the initial hurdle, it is pretty straightforward, but you just have to manage your time.”
Becoming a teacher may be difficult at first, but sponsoring clubs on top of teaching can make it much more difficult.
“For school clubs, I am a sponsor in the Chess Club, which we meet every Friday after school. You should come,” Lingle said. “I am also the technical director for the musical and just the theater company in general.”
Multiple skills are required for these clubs, along with many lessons to learn, and Lingle feels he has the skills to help him succeed.
“I’m a pretty charismatic guy, which helps in theater obviously, and it helps in Chess Club because there are a few people who struggle with social interaction, so it’s kind of nice to have a beacon of talkativeness,” Lingle said. “ In theater, it helps definitely that I’m still young and can still do a lot of things, because as a tech director, I have to build and move a lot of things, so if I was old and weak, I wouldn’t be able to do many things. Beyond that, I feel being laid back allows students to come up to me with issues outside of school and after school because they feel safe to do so.”
Though he helps with both groups, his role in each differs.
“In Chess Club, I basically just show up. It is a very student-led organization. We have three leaders this year, and they kinda run the show for everything…” Lingle said. “In theater as a tech director, I run basically the crew, the behind-the-scenes stuff, I build the set, I make the props and repair anything that breaks. During tech rehearsals, I help with the soundboard and help with the lights when I can. I’m learning as I go.”
Being a new teacher can be very difficult, but with the addition of multiple clubs and committees, it can become almost impossible. Lingle shared his advice on what newer teachers should do if they find themselves in a similar situation.
“Don’t overextend yourself. This is my second year teaching, and I feel very stretched doing a lot of things,” Lingle said. “I’m in a few student clubs as well as a couple of committees I’m in, on top of teaching new classes, like I’m teaching honors this year and it is a bit hectic, so try to keep time for yourself and have that bit of personal time, but don’t give up on doing stuff at school because getting involved is so beneficial.”
