Christopher Maloney-Perez is a physics teacher who is new to Westford Academy, but not to the field of education. After teaching at Amesbury High School and in Boston for 13 years, he is excited to begin a new chapter in Westford.
Q: How did you feel on the first day of school?
A: Excited, but I think teachers get nervous and anxious just like the kids do. So the night before, I always have a hard time sleeping, but day one is like I’m in my spot.
Q: Do you have any interests outside of school and what made you want to start those?
A: I like to try to be outside; I run, hike, and work in my yard. I have a two-and-a-half-year-old son, so a lot of my time [is] spent playing with him right now, which means I don’t get to go to the movies as much as I would like. That was my old hobby.
Q: Do you have any goals that you set for yourself this school year?
A: I just want to be the best AP physics teacher I can be. I want 100% of my AP students to pass the exam. Other than that though, I want to get to know this school and everyone in it.
Q: Are there any co-workers that have mentored you so far this school year?’
A: The whole science department is very helpful, especially the physics teachers because I teach physics. And a special shout out to [Bill Bowen] who has been giving me lots of stuff in his last several days before he leaves.
Q: What inspired you to become a teacher?
A: I knew I wanted to do a gap year after college. I took a job as a tutor in a high school after college, and it was a really weird high school and the tutors were all college graduates who actually lived on the third floor of the high school, and the doors were all locked and students couldn’t go up there. But I had to start making plans for medical school applications, and I just couldn’t do it. I was having way too much fun teaching kids.
Q: If you had to be a ladybug or a butterfly, which one would you pick and why?
A: A ladybug, it’s less flashy and goes under the radar, which I prefer because I am an introvert. I feel like butterflies draw a lot of attention, and I don’t like that.
