By: Mayur Rajan

SAN JOSE, CALIF – ERIK URIBE ALCAZAR IS A U.S. GOVERNMENT TEACHER AT SILVER CREEK WITH HIS FIRST YEAR GOING ON SO FAR. He had been a substitute teacher before the job and is ready to do a good job at Creek. COVID-19 was a big problem for all the teachers and now after we have come back from it, things have gotten better for Creek and for everyone else as well. 

Uribe was pretty affected by in-person school and the huge change and on the topic, he said, “It was a challenge at first to get back into a rhythm. I am a brand new teacher but I was also doing online student teaching, so coming back in person was a bit difficult until I got adjusted.”

He continues to say that he hasn’t really experienced teaching under online school until recently, so it was hard for him at first. Quarantine started from March 2020 all the way until a couple months ago now, so Uribe had to adjust to what was going on in order to become a teacher here at Silver Creek. 

Since coming in person, it has been much easier for him to ensure the success of many students. With Zoom, it was hard to teach students and help them learn as they weren’t able to focus like students in person.Students now are able to learn in person and as expected it’s getting better for everyone overall as projected in their grades.

Uribe is very excited to be at school and teach students properly after a time period of problems. On the new regulations and the effectiveness of teaching in “I believe so. I have been able to keep a close eye on the students as they complete their assignments and remind them if they start to get off task. I was not able to do that online (at least, not as effectively).” For him, school was a huge improvement but at the same time, with his first year at a new school, it was hard for him to teach and adjust. Overall, this new experience at Silver Creek High School was different for him with everything going on and teaching a rigorous class like the U.S. Government is definitely something that will take some getting used to. 

Aside from teaching, the fights that occurred at Creek were surprising to hear and learn about, and as a first-year teacher, this isn’t what he’d usually expect from a school. “I personally have not witnessed any, but the number of fights is a bit alarming due to the sheer number of them. I believe that the students had not seen each other in so long that they got squirrely when they finally did.” The amount of fights in Silver Creek High School took a long time to process as many parents, teachers and outsiders were surprised as well. 

Uribe is excited to do well as a new teacher and he is ready to see how this year plays out. He said, “I hope to stay for a long time, personally. I am brand new, after all. In terms of the school itself, I hope that it remains as accommodating as it has been”.