The Future of ACP

The first day of school never fails to bring lots of excitement. Each year, students return to school, anxious to reunite with their friends after the long summer break. However, students are not the only ones looking forward to the school year. The new teachers of ACP come to work during summer, preparing for the day they finally get to meet their students. Let’s meet some of our new, amazing teachers!

Coach Blueford

Coach Blueford joins the ACP staff this year as a teacher for both health and media classes.  He is also the head coach for the first ever ACP football team, and his office is located in the PC lab.

Q: Are you from Arizona? If not, what brought you here? 

A: I am mostly from Arizona! I was born in Miami and moved to Arizona when I was 5. After Jr High I moved to Washington and then moved back to Arizona half way through my junior year of high school. I have lived here ever since so I consider myself a native.

Q: What inspired you to start teaching, and when did you start?

A: This is my first year teaching! I have a passion for developing and making a positive impact on today’s youth. Through teaching and coaching I feel that I have a direct involvement in shaping our future society.

Q: What has been the best part of teaching at ACP thus far?

A: Everything has been great at ACP thus far. I would have to say the best part of teaching at ACP is getting to know students outside of the athletic department. There are so many talented students on this campus that I would not have been exposed to if I were just a coach.

Q: What are you looking forward to this school year?

A: Aside from starting the football program, I am most excited about getting involved in other clubs and events at school. I want to take this year to be completely engulfed in the ACP culture. This school represents so many good things. I can’t wait to be more a part of it all!

Mrs. Nath

Mrs. Nath begins her journey at ACP teaching Honors and Human Biology classes.  Her classes are held in room A104.

Q: Are you from Arizona? If not, what brought you here?

A: No, I am not from Arizona, I am from Assam, India.  In 2002, my family got a marriage proposal for me, and the boy’s mother and brother came to see me and my family. They liked us, and both families exchanged pictures. Then, after a few online chats at an internet café and a fortune worth of phone bills, I got married to my husband and came to the States 6 months later, in April of 2003.

Q: What inspired you to start teaching, and when did you start?

A: I always loved interacting with students and love to see the “AHA” moment in their eyes. My passion for teaching comes from my creative nature and my love to reach out to students. I started teaching in the States in 2004.

Q: What has been the best part of teaching at ACP thus far?

A: My wonderful students have been the best part of my teaching at ACP thus far. This is my 3rd week and I have treasured every single little moment with both by honors and human bio classes.  It brings a smile to my life when students come to me with their problems and share their life with me.

Q: What are you looking forward to this school year?

A: I look forward to a very enriching and fulfilling experience this school year, not just in teaching content, but also in coaching Badminton and being a part of the sustainability club.

Mr. Kidder

Mr. Kidder will spend his first year at ACP teaching Investigative Science for 8th and 9th graders.  His classroom is located in room B101.

Q: Are you from Arizona? If not, what brought you here?

A: No.  I was born in Denver but only lived there for the first few months of my life.  I love Colorado, and part of me feels like I am meant to go back there someday.  My family moved to Arizona from Minnesota when I was in 6th grade.  My dad worked for Honeywell, and they relocated him here.  Living in Minnesota as a kid was great.  Snow is nothing but fun when you never have to drive in it.

Q: What inspired you to start teaching, and when did you start?

A: I graduated from ASU with a Bachelors in Biology with a Philosophy minor.  I managed to make my undergraduate studies last 6 years.  I looked around for some sort of lab tech job but didn’t really find anything, so after college I pretty much delivered pizzas and lived life for a while.  After being out of college for 6 years, I wanted to do something meaningful with my science education and Biology degree, so I went back to school in 2003.  I came back from a vacation in 2004 and called ASU the next day and got a last minute submission to their TEAMS program for science and math teachers.  Fifteen months later I had a Master’s degree in Education and a teaching certificate.  I started as a teacher in 2005 at Willis Jr. High and taught 7th grade science there for 12 years.  The past three years I also taught an Engineering elective called Project Lead the Way.  This class included CAD design as well as VEX robotics.  I would love to start a Project Lead the Way program at ACP!

Q: What has been the best part of teaching at ACP thus far?

A: Getting to know a new group of students.  High school is way different than Jr. High, let me just say that.  I am adjusting.

Q: What are you looking forward to this school year?

A: Learning and teaching a curriculum that’s pretty new to me.  After teaching Earth Science for 12 years, teaching Chemistry and Biology will be a new adventure for me.  When you are a teacher, you learn more than anyone in the classroom.  As a teacher, if you keep teaching new content throughout your career, you truly become a lifelong learner.