Strings
Mr. Case teaches in the strings department at BGJHS, which is a pretty big deal. Mr. Case is the man behind all of it. He has been teaching at the junior high for seven years, and he loves what he does. “I love giving people a place to belong and encouraging them to keep trying when things get difficult. My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Higdon, was amazing,” Mr. Case said. Mr. Case is very dependable and loves his students like they are his own.
Art
Mrs. Brown is the art teacher at Bowling Green Junior High School. It is her first year teaching here and it is already going amazing. She has loved art since she was in high school and she is glad that she gets to allow students to just be themselves. Mrs. Brown said, “It is my favorite thing in the entire world and I like whenever the kids who think they are not good at something just follow simple instructions and realize that they are good.” The kids do fun projects in art like crafting doors with paper, watercolor painting, and more. Art is a fun place for students to express and be themselves, even if it gets hard.
Choir
Ms. Cuzick is the choir director at BGJHS. It is her third year teaching here and she loves what she does. She also did her student teaching here in the spring of 2021.” ”I first decided that I wanted to be a choir teacher in 8th grade. Choir was the place where I felt most like myself, and I loved to sing! I learned so many valuable skills in my years in choir and learned how to have confidence in my voice and my talents. I wanted others to experience the same success and belonging that I felt when I was in choir. I am passionate about helping others find their voice and teaching them to be confident in themselves I love watching my students grow & improve, not only as singers- but as people. I especially love getting to have the same students from 6th grade through 8th grade. I get to watch them mature and grow into wonderful musicians and singers.”
Band
Ms. Shores is the band teacher at BGJHS. She loves her job. “I had such a wonderful experience in the band; my band directors were terrific mentors who had a profound impact on my life. Coming from such a large family, my other teachers would sometimes refer to me as so-and-so’s sister. My band directors, also knowing my siblings, made a conscious effort to always call me by name, rarely compared me to my siblings, and invested in me as a musician. Because of their investment in me, I worked hard to be the best musician I could be, and it gave me an identity and a purpose that I hadn’t felt in any other class/organization before. I loved learning in the band environment and enjoyed expressing myself through music This is my 15th year at BGJHS I love so much about teaching band that I look forward to coming to work every single day! I can be so tired in the morning when my alarm clock goes off, but then I remember something new we’re going to do that day and I get excited and motivated.” Some of her favorite things about teaching band are the moments when her students start to become independent musicians. “The tools I have taught them become innate and they don’t rely so heavily on me. The music we make daily is also very gratifying because it’s a room full of students who might not otherwise be connected coming together with their unifying sounds and expressions.” She truly loves her students, and they are what makes teaching so much fun for her.