Snohomish County first-time teachers prep for first day

EVERETT — Kids around the county return to school this week.

For teachers, this time of year is set aside to clean, set up classrooms, and get up-to-date on all the latest trainings and procedures.

It’s hard work, and even harder when starting from scratch like Jack White, the newest music teacher at Hazelwood Elementary in the Edmonds School District.

“I’ve definitely kind of gone from feeling very overwhelmed with it to feeling much more excited about it,” he said.

White will get to help his students learn new instruments, play songs they hear on the radio and even try their hand in songwriting.

White’s parents both work in the district. His father Tom works at Lynnwood Elementary and his mother Sari works at the district office.

“It’s just nice to have family that I can quickly call up their cell and ask a lot of stupid questions,” he said.

Teaching music to kids is no small task, and White knows it.

Learning an instrument requires focus and dedication, a difficult ask for many young kids. Instead, his aim is to engage his students and cultivate a love of art.

“I look forward to meeting the students and getting involved in the culture,” he said. “Hopefully I’m able to connect with as many students as possible and get them excited about music. That’s all I’m there to do.”

‘Wanted to have a bigger impact’

Greg Brager’s focus has been supplies.

With donations from Sno-Isle Libraries, the new Pioneer Elementary third-grade teacher stocked his classroom library with classics like Magic Tree House, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and, of course, Captain Underpants.

He’s also trying to quiet his nerves.

“I think if people aren’t doing something that slightly scares them, then they’re not really challenging themselves,” he said.

Brager started as a Pioneer Elementary kitchen employee serving lunches, then became the custodian for a decade. He’s worked the grounds, delivered the mail and now, the former custodian is plunging into a new chapter in his career. After 10 years, he decided to return to school and get his master’s degree in education.

“It’ll take a while for the kids to call me Mr. B. instead of Mr. Greg,” Brager said. “They’ve known me as Mr. Greg for as long as I’ve worked here.”

“I’ve seen the amazing work that the teachers do, and I just wanted to have a bigger impact with the students,” he added.

‘I want my students to have fun’

Swati Banerjee is trying to get to know her students, before even meeting them.

Banerjee is an extended resource teacher at Everett’s Madison Elementary, working with kids with disabilities like developmental delays and autism. She said it’s important she knows her students’ needs to best engage them.

“I want my students to have fun as they are learning,” she said. “It’s not a boring classroom.”

While tailoring a curriculum to 16 kids can be challenging, she said the results speak for themselves.

“You feel rewarded when the students learn and they change over time,” she said.

Banerjee is new to Everett’s Madison Elementary, but she’s not new to education.

Originally from India, she’s taught for 20 years, traveling everywhere from New Zealand to the United Kingdom.

“The teaching is the same,” Banerjee said. “The love for kids, the passion, the encouragement, giving the students choices and voices.”

She also worked with the Volunteers of America, specializing in early childhood education for low-income families.

Despite years of experience, this is Banerjee’s first year in the United States with her own physical classroom.

Her nerves are battling her anticipation.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” she said Tuesday. “I am anxious, but I’m happy at the same time.”

Over 90 languages are spoken in Everett Public Schools. Banjeree said the district is putting an emphasis on language this year, incorporating multilingual students in the curriculum and collaborating with multilingual coaches.

Banerjee emphasized collaboration entering the school year.

“The student, parent, me and the school admin, we all are a team,” she said. “If we work as a team, the students will be successful.”

The Marysville School District began class Thursday.

The Northshore and Stanwood-Camano school districts start Tuesday.

The Arlington, Darrington, Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls, Index, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Monroe, Mukilteo, Snohomish and Sultan school districts begin Wednesday.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of Sari White.

Connor Zamora: 425-339-3037; connor.zamora@heraldnet.com; X: @cgzamora02.