Being a student at New Hartford High School comes with the privilege of knowing Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Roth. They are two of the most beloved teachers in our building, who happen to be brother and sister. Being especially known as two of the most popular teachers that are asked for college recommendation letters… out of this brother-sister pair, who takes the cake for most recommendations this year?
Mrs. Roth graduated from Whitesboro High School, and attended SUNY Geneseo for her undergraduate degree and masters. She is a math teacher who is known for staying after school and during lunch or her planning periods to help her students. Her care and compassion for using her own time to help students is one of the reasons that she is so loved by her students. Mrs. Roth has been teaching for 21 years, all of which have been at New Hartford. She is also a junior class advisor and serves on multiple committees.
Mr. Ryan who also attended Whitesboro High School, and then graduated from SUNY Oneonta, did not start his teaching career here at New Hartford. Mr. Ryan has been teaching for 24 years, but this is only his fourth year in our school district and he teaches English. While a relatively new teacher in this building, Mr. Ryan is one who can be described as a friend to all. While he is serious about what he is teaching, Mr. Ryan is a teacher who students feel very comfortable talking to, he is always cracking a joke in the hallway to passing students, and is a comforting figure in what can sometimes be a stressful building.
The teaching in this family does not stop with these two. The other Mr. Ryan, the brother of our two teachers, is a teacher at Whitesboro High School, and our own Mr. Ryan’s wife, Mrs. Ryan, is a Spanish teacher in both the Perry Junior High, and the high school.
When talking to Mrs. Roth and Mr. Ryan, they both expressed nothing but happiness that they work together. Mr. Ryan explains that he loves being able to work in the same environment as his sister and wife, describing it as a “family affair.” When talking about his relationship with Mrs. Roth, he says, “I love teaching with her. Although I joke that I don’t love the idea of my own kids having her, I am proud to work with her. The time she dedicates to her students and curriculum is second-to-none. I don’t know too many teachers who work through their lunch day in and day out like she does. ”
Mrs. Roth shares a similar opinion stating, “I am so happy that New Hartford hired my brother. Maybe I’m biased because he’s family,but I know his heart and his character and I think we are really lucky to have such a dedicated, enthusiastic, passionate teacher.” She added, “To know Mike is to love Mike.”
Having been at New Hartford before her brother came over, Mrs. Roth calls it a blessing to be in the same building as her family, saying it is especially fun because they have children of similar ages, and they get to cheer at sporting events and concerts alongside each other.
As previously mentioned, Mrs. Roth and Mr. Ryan are two names that you hear constantly when juniors are beginning to ask teachers for their college recommendation letters. These two always joke about who got more requests, and now we can finally put the debate to rest. This year, Mr. Ryan wrote a whooping thirty-one college recommendation letters through Naviance. While Mrs. Roth only wrote twenty-five recommendations through Naviance,which would technically be a win for Mr. Ryan, she also reported writing seven additional letters for things like scholarships and internships. With that additional information, the big winner is… Mrs. Roth, winning 32-31. Sorry Mr. Ryan, better luck next year.
Mrs. Roth and Mr. Ryan, the brother-sister duo are two great teachers. Even with their vastly different personalities, they are the best… but Mrs Roth is better with her 32-31 recommendation letter win.
