By: Ila Bumagin, Sophomore
Mr. Crowley is a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a lot to say. Those who have had him as a teacher know his deep love of history and his self-proclaimed “soft side.” Mr. Crowley has been working at Marblehead High School since 2000, and this year he is retiring. Before working here, which was his first teaching job, he was the manager of a company that ran American history tours around the United States. While traveling and visiting historical sites, Mr. Crowley became interested in teaching. So, where better to teach than MHS?
In addition to his previous job, Mr. Crowley has simply loved history since he was a child – 10 years old he said. His mom gave him a book on the American Civil War, and that was that.
I asked Mr. Crowley if teaching is what he expected it to be. He said, “Pretty much. It has changed a lot in the 22 years I have been here, though.” He says that expectations for teachers are a lot higher now than they were in 2000. Cryptic as that is, he said such distinctions were hard to define.
When asked about his favorite memory at the school, he couldn’t think of Written by the students of Marblehead High School for our school and community 2021-2022 Issue www.mhsheadlight.com June 9, 2022 specific ones. Mostly, he really enjoyed coaching the Winter and Spring track teams. Knowing track students, he was much beloved by the team. I asked him if he had any specifically bad memories, but he said no: “The coworkers have been great, I’ve enjoyed the students.”
I asked the history teacher if he had any advice for students or teachers. His main message for students was: “I would say – abandon your phones. Focus more on the lessons.” He expressed how hard it is to teach when students are more responsive to their devices than to the teacher present in the classroom. That is certainly one change from when he started teaching.
Finally, I asked if there was something unexpected about himself that he wanted to share – like a fun fact. He wanted people to know, “I’m not as gruff as students sometimes initially think I am – I have a soft side.”
It was great to get to know Mr. Crowley, even briefly. Marblehead High is losing a wonderful and accomplished teacher. Congratulations on retiring, Mr. Crowley!