A shortage of up to 700,000 teaching instructors in the United States has drawn U.S. school administrators looking to plug the gap to India.  TUSD has hired 25 teachers from India this year to fill long-term vacancies, and Sahuaro now welcomes one to our campus – Maninder Singh all the way from India!

Mr. Singh is a freshman math teacher who joined our campus last month. He had a lot of nice things to say about our school and other teachers. “My favorite thing about Sahuaro would have to be that there are a lot of activities for the kids! The kids seem to enjoy them. Also what I feel is best is that all the teachers are very helpful. It will be a great start for me at Sahuaro.”

He says he feels very welcomed at the school, and he’s blending right in with the same frustrations of other teachers – “I wish that the kids were not using their cell phones while in the class. I’m very thorough about that thing.” Doesn’t every teacher wish that?

As I had said before, our new Math teachers comes all the way from India. North India to be exact, in a place called Punjab. Obviously, life in an American high school is an adjustment, especially being so far away from home and family. “This is a good place. The weather here is actually the same as it is in India; some of my colleagues are actually here with me from India as well.  They are at different schools, and so we are having fun together on the evenings and the weekends.” Mr. Singh goes on to say that over the fall break he and his friends took a road trip. “We’re just exploring by ourselves. A few days back into fall break we went to Phoenix. We went around there and found out a little about it.” Although he does miss his home every now and then. “I am born and brought up there in India so I am missing my country! But it’s still a good experience for me here in the U.S.A.”

Wondering how we found this cool teacher? Apparently Mr.Singh has been working as a mathematics teacher for fifteen years. Our principal, Mr. Estrella, was able to contact him over a video call and interview him. “I got the opportunity to apply here in the U.S.A. So I had a video conference with Mr. Estrella where he interviewed me and then gave me a chance to work here at Sahuaro.”

If you see Mr.Singh at all throughout the day, make sure you give a friendly hello, and welcome him to the Sahuaro Cougar family. You’ll do great Mr. Singh!

Mr. Singh is also sharing some of his culture with the students of Sahuaro.  See photos below: