Before winter break, the Sahuaro Cougars were hit with the news that a beloved teacher would be leaving the campus. Ms. Lange, an English and journalism icon here at Sahuaro, had taken an online job and announced that she would not be returning after the break.
While many were deeply affected by this news, a great deal of her past and present students were also excited for their adored teacher’s new opportunities. With this mixed emotion change, many wondered what would come next for not only the English classes, but for The Paper Cut and the new creative writing class.
Mary Gandee, a long-term sub for Sahuaro High School who started last year, is a close friend of Ms. Lange. The two first met when Mrs. Gandee was a parent, and her daughter, Marley, was Editor-In-Chief of The Paper Cut. When Mrs. Gandee was made aware of Ms. Lange’s leaving, she was ultimately saddened by the thought of the students who would be affected by this news, “especially in the middle of the year, having that unexpected transition.” But at the same time, she was excited for her friend heading into another season of life and was happy Ms. Lange had found her next step.
With Mrs. Gandee not having any hesitation about being the long-term sub for Ms. Lange’s three separate courses, she’s adamant in her words, “I know I will never fill her shoes because she is such an incredible teacher and she has so much depth of knowledge and so much experience.” She is taking an approach where “filling in” Lange’s shoes is not an option, knowing that it could be frustrating for everyone. She shares that her reminder is to be herself as a teacher, and that is her intention coming into this semester.
With no doubts or concerns about the last-minute change, Mrs. Gandee said, “I just want to make sure every student has what they need.” For her, that’s getting to know her new students, but also getting to know the curriculum for each of her classes, which stays on her mind daily. With this new opportunity for Mrs. Gandee, getting to know each student is what she sees as the best part of being here. She shared, “It’s a great opportunity to learn more about teaching English, Creative Writing, and also being a part of The Paper Cut.”
Mrs. Gandee’s goal for her new role as a long-term sub here is helping her students, “whether it’s seniors who are graduating or freshman, sophomores, and juniors that are getting ready to see where they’re going next year.” She is here to get to know her students, help them, and learn along the way.
