11th/12th Spotlight

Authors: Kaylie Miranda, Karibel Bolanos, Zaira Moreno Deleon

A spotlight on Hayward Twin Oaks 11th/12th grade teachers.

Mrs. Dormishian

Farideh Dormishian teaches pre-calculus, calculus, algebra, and robotics, and she really loves her job. Her favorite part is when her students understand the lessons. Her least favorite part is saying goodbye to her students at the end of the year. One of the craziest things that happened was when a student used invisible ink to cheat by writing on their hand during a test. Some of her hobbies include playing the piano, visiting her daughters, spending time with family, and making jewelry. She also loves making people happy and helps homeless people. Her talents include playing piano, creating art, making jewelry, and winning prizes for her work.

Mrs. Ochoa

Martha Ochoa is an instructional coach and ELD coordinator. She works with teachers to help them improve their teaching skills and curriculum, and she also supports students. She loves her job and has been working in education for 32 years. Her favorite part is helping solve challenges, talking with teachers, and listening to students’ voices because she enjoys hearing what students have to say. Her least favorite part is dealing with big system problems like grading and required testing. One of the craziest things she experienced was when a student brought a gun to school, but they were able to deescalate the situation. Some of her interests are teaching, hiking, chasing waterfalls and skies, and camping. She used to dance Cabralita and Salsa, and she loves journaling and making poetry.

Mr. Mahoney

Jonathan Mahoney teaches English to 11th and 12th graders, and he also teaches Model UN and journalism. He loves his job and has been teaching for 13 years. His favorite part is that it's always exciting and how it always keeps him on his toes and that he doesn't always have to be stuck in a chair. His least favorite part is the social interaction part when it can get over stimulating sometimes, around the end of the quarter when everyone is turning in late work to get graded, and when he has to grade essays. The craziest thing that happened to him was when a student put bleach in his water bottle, and he accidentally took a sip. Some of his interests are sports; he used to play basketball, lacrosse, baseball, and golf. One of his talents is that he’s really good at ceramics.