New Face in the English Department Adds a New Sense of Enthusiasm to the Team
There is a new face in the English department at Northern High School this year; Her name is Destiny Clarke. Not only is she new to Northern, but she is new to Durham as well.
“[I wanted to be a teacher at Northern because] I wanted to be in the heart of Durham,” English teacher Destiny Clarke said. “I wanted to support the city and the community in the very best way I knew how.”
Clarke teaches English II, honors English II and English III. For only knowing these students for less than a quarter, she has already left an impact on her students.
“[Mrs. Clarke] has impacted Northern by always being positive,” junior Chandler Nason said. “She is always positive and is always talking about how good someone is doing. She is always on top of things and I think that is very beneficial for her students.”
With this being Clarke’s first year at Northern, she has had the opportunity to not only meet new people, but to create new friendships with fellow teachers as well. Clarke’s room is right beside Ms. Patterson’s class on the bottom of Harrison Hall.
“Having Mrs. Clarke as a room neighbor has been great so far,” English teacher Sarah Paterson said. “We bounce ideas off of one another [and] we have been there for support. We both tend to leave school pretty late, and it is pretty nice to have that relationship. It is also nice because from time to time we will swap students back and forth if someone needs to take a break, [and it is beneficial] to have someone next door with their door open.”
Having a brand new teacher can be a scary thing, but when you have an open mind it is not as bad as some may seem. Clarke’s students have made it beyond clear that they love her enthusiastic personality and her willingness to do her job.
“Mrs. Clarke is much more active in the ways she teaches than some of the other teachers I have had at Northern,” junior Summer Hales said. “She is also willing to help her students whenever they need help. She does not get annoyed whenever we ask for help, which makes me feel like I can come to her about anything.”
In the short amount of time the Clarke has had her students they are already noticing what makes her such a unique teacher. It is not just her teaching methods or her classroom environment, but something much deeper.
“Mrs. Clarke is different from most teachers,” junior Jaylon Chesnut said. “There is just this vibe gives off and you can tell she [genuinely] wants to see us succeed.”
Northern students and faculty are looking forward to seeing the legacy that Clarke leaves behind in her time with the knights.