Mr. Huntington is now back teaching at the high school and many students are happy to see him back! When you walk into his classroom, he greets students with a smile on his face and a positive attitude. His room is inviting and encourages learning and the success of each of his students. As someone who had him for 8th grade I made endless memories and learned things I will never forget. His way of teaching is quite special as he takes a hands on/ hands off approach. This interview takes a deep dive into not just the teacher he is but also the person he is. His past students leave comments on their favorite memories from Mr. Huntington.
Perine: How long have you been teaching for and What made you want to be a teacher?
Huntington: “This is my 22nd year teaching all with Hingham. I majored in history in college and have always been interested in history. In terms of subjects that I went through in both college and high school history I loved. I was a career changer, so I was working in finance in the early 2000s and it wasn’t working out. Through a lot of people, especially my late mother, who always told me I should have been a teacher from the get go. So I looked into it and decided to take the state tests and start the process. In two years I officially got my first gig in Hingham.”
Perine: What do you like to teach more, U.S History or World History?
Huntington: “That’s a great question. Out of 22 years of teaching I probably taught U.S history/Civics probably 18 or 19 years out of 22. I’ve had experience teaching world history before. My very first year I did the travel thing between the high school and the middle school. I was so used to the way things were done in U.S history and some of the topics. I loved teaching about the revolutions because it was my favorite subject, the buildup and all that, and the formation of the republic, and just the founding fathers and all the books I’ve read. But world history is, I think throughout growing up and then through my schooling, that’s always been fascinating too. After a long time, I would say this is gonna sound like a cop out. I kind of like both of them the same, but I have done U.S history for so long, but I am kinda diving into the world now, so, kind of exciting.”
Perine: What’s the biggest adjustment between teaching 8th and 9th Grade?
Huntington: “The curriculum is always an adjustment because you’re used to doing this for so long, and you have lessons you can fall back on. One of the great things about our department is we’re very collaborative, you know, and we’re always looking to give each other stuff. I met with Mr. Nugent, Mr. Dorr, Mr. George, late last year. Mr. Door actually had a professional development outing, last summer, maybe a week before school started. It was for a couple of hours and we went over things that he did. He shared a ton of files with me. They all did actually share a bunch of stuff with me. It was very helpful when you don’t have to recreate things. I also found that stuff I used 13 years ago still could be used. So it wasn’t like I was walking into a brand new thing like I had to create brand new lessons and all that. So that part of the transition hasn’t been that difficult. It’s more the lifestyle changes like how the high school starts at 8am instead of 7:30 and how it is another seven or eight minutes, not a big deal. There’s not a big difference between the kids but I really want to make the transition work for a lot of the students. I get a sense that my freshmen now still think they are in 8th grade. Not to be condescending but I still think that their middle school teachers are going to cut them some slack. The good thing is, I am a middle school teacher at heart. So I cut slack when slack needs to be cut. I also try to reinforce the idea that there’s things that they can’t get anyway with anymore.”
Perine: What do you think your teaching style is?
Huntington: “Great question. I don’t know. Hands on, but hands off. Like, know when to cut the cord and now when to supply some support. And not doing too much so the students don’t feel a level of independence. I try to be very direct. It will depend on how well I know the student and how they can handle it. I try to use some sarcasm in my humor, not mean spirited, you know, depending on the situation. You know if someone is seriously goofing around and not doing what they should be doing, I might kind of say something that might seem mean spirited but it’s not really. I think that I just try to be approachable and friendly. Always be creative.”
Perine: What is one thing you wish more students knew about you as a teacher or a person?
Huntington: “I wish people would feel more comfortable talking to me in person. Like, when I would teach 8th grade the last few years, I would look at my class, and for a lot of questions, I would have the same two, three kids that want to engage. Some students, I knew it wasn’t because they didn’t want to do this but it was because they were afraid of meeting, making fun of or saying the wrong thing. I just want to hear different view points. I want to make you feel like you contributed versus you know, shooting you down because you were way off base.”
Perine: Is there any lesson you do every year that students love?
Huntington: “My review study games. Every single year I’ll have students come up to me and say, I love the jeopardy games. I love the old school tunes. And when I went to 7th grade I made my own ones for the tests and that’s what we would do for review. I also shared them with the other history teachers in 7th grade.”
Perine: What’s a fun fact or something your students probably don’t know about you?
Huntington: “I don’t live in Hingham but I feel like I’m part of the community anyway. I have had various, all these different experiences. I probably had a lot of their siblings and cousins. I really felt engaged with the middle school community and I’d like to do the same here and it’s so exciting with all the clubs and activities the high school has. I have a lot of the same interests as students do. I like hanging out with my friends. I love my family. I love to have a good time. I have a great sense of humor. I am not a stick in the mud. I like to go on my cellphone when I am bored too. I am addicted too. I just want my students to feel like they can come talk to me. Because I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on in your head.”
Perine: What’s the best part about being back at HHS?
Huntington: “I like the drop schedule. It’s kind of cool. If I don’t like a lesson for some reason I can tweak it and then the next day I can have a shot at it. And it might be better, it might be worse, but at least I’m trying. Also I think the kids, the ninth graders, on average, are a lot easier to talk to than the seventh graders. It’s just the 2 years of maturity. I also think they get my sarcasm and understand when I am being serious and when I am being direct.”
Perine: What’s your favorite memory from teaching so far?
Huntington: “A few years ago, so currently the junior class, we just had a great year all around. It was my second to last year teaching in 8th grade. I just felt like I made a lot of really big connections. Mr. McCullough and I were the advisors for the 8th grade. Just the way the D.C trip and field day that year just lined up was really fun. When I see my ex students it’s just great. Especially those guys because I had such great memories with them. And then probably my first couple years I used to do the adventure club. We would do overnight camp outs and those were amazing. It was great when I first started teaching because it met so many people. I also liked engaging with kids in a way that’s different from the classroom. Like going on expeditions and going on the D.C trips.”
Perine: If you weren’t a teacher what job do you think you would have?
Huntington: “If I wasn’t a teacher I would run a youth center or a town library, or a research center where kids can come in and work on projects. My favorite thing about the research paper is helping students solve problems. Reading the papers can be rewarding but also disappointing because we did spend so much time on the paper. I just love going around and benign in the library and helping kids find things they can’t find like their sources or books etc.”
Perine: What’s one piece of advice you have for your students?
Huntington: “Keep trying. Don’t give up and don’t be afraid. Your teachers are gonna help you. You should be the most invested in what you’re doing. Meaning, when your parents ask you dont act like you dont know what is going on in school. You’re the one that needs to step up and if you don’t get something when you’re doing something, say something. Your teacher should be the 1st person you go to. So just don’t be afraid. Stress is also not a bad thing, it’s a motivator. Without stress we don’t have excellence or achievements. But don’t let the stress get to you and manage it right and you will be successful.”
Perine: Anything else you would like to share?
Huntington: “I am really enjoying this year so far. The traveling gig can be intimidating at first but it’s like anything else once you get into it you will get your groove and find your routine.”
Many of his past students still rave about what a good teacher he was. His impact on middle school has not gone unnoticed. As a past student myself I loved having such a creative teacher like Mr. Huntington. He always showed interest in each lesson which made it more engaging. Past student and sophomore, Simone Latanzi says “He was a good teacher overall and taught us a lot and I also enjoyed jeopardy review games before tests.” He continues to do his jeopardy review games continuing the tradition. Another one of Huntington’s past students, sophomore Drew Dennis says, “He was a great guy and had a lot of his quirks but was a stand out teacher who was able to teach very well.” Mr. Huntington continues to be a creative teacher using his hands on and off teaching style to engage many different students.
