A warm Oneida CSD welcome to our student teacher, Mark Mack!

Mark is not just any new face; he's an Oneida alumna from the class of 2019! He fondly recalls how the high school art room was like his "second home." Now, as he takes on his new responsibilities, he finds himself focusing more on the big picture.

"I have to pay attention to the room at large, rather than focusing on my own little world of creation."

Currently, Mark is wrapping up his master’s degree in art education and is set to graduate this spring. He’s excited about starting his journey to find a teaching position soon!

"My hope is to stay close by...my goal is to stay in the area, whether it's Oneida or VVS, Canastota."

Earlier this year, Mark completed his observation hours right here at Oneida, reinforcing his passion for teaching.

"I really, really love school. Its just a really nice environment to be in. I really love seeing all the cool stuff people make. Art was always my favorite subject. I wanted to have a career in art, that let me help others."

During his time as a student teacher at OCSD, he'll be mainly working alongside Mrs. Cigeroglu’s classes and will also assist Mrs. McLain in her Ceramics and Sculpture class. Mark will be student teaching at the High School until March 21st and will then transition to working with Mrs. Marino at Seneca Street and Willard Prior.

"Student teaching is a lot less stressful than I expected it to be. You really get eased in, and if you have experience beforehand, like I have, having been a substitute teacher for the past two years, you really get to prepare yourself to just come in here and learn... it's an opportunity to learn and improve as a teacher. I'm very grateful for that; it's going very well so far; I'm learning a lot."

Mark also has some friendly advice for future graduates ready to start their college journey:

"As long as you do the work, and you don't mess it up too bad, you'll do just fine!"