Eric Tuwalski: From student to teacher

Three decades ago, I was a student at Archbishop Carroll High School. Today, I teach there. A lot has changed in those years, though much remains the same.

My relocation from the Cleveland, Ohio region to the Philadelphia region began over thirty-one years ago. My father’s employment brought us to the region. The idea of being uprooted from your upbringing as a fifteen-year-old was a challenging experience, however, I knew I had to make the adjustment and hope for the best with our move. The thought of moving into a new school in the middle of the school year made this adjustment even more challenging and anxious for me, especially in the middle of my freshman year of high school. 

When my parents returned to Ohio after visiting schools and setting up our new place of residence, they gave me a few articles and sports programs to look at of my new school. I had no say in the decision and I honored their decision with no reservations or resentment from yours truly. As I said my goodbyes at my old high school to my classmates, teachers, and family in Ohio, I had to remind myself to focus on the new school and be ready to embark on a new journey. 

As we settled in our temporary residence before my parent’s house was built, I prepared myself for my new school. My parents dropped me off for my first day to ensure I would be ready for school and showed their support for me. I said my goodbyes to my parents and told them I will make this work here for me. I walked into the disciplinarian’s office to pick up my locker combination, copy of my class roster, and to meet a fellow student who escorted me to my locker and homeroom. Some students said hello to me and others just went about their routine after morning prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Several students were kind enough to help me navigate my way through the school to my classes. I appreciated the help and welcomed remarks from students, as well as my new teachers. I would adapt to the teaching styles from my new teachers very similar to the ones I experienced in Cleveland. 

My old school and now current school were very similar. Both schools were coed Catholic high schools. They both centered learning through the Catholic Faith and Doctrine. The differences where I came from a slightly smaller school in enrollment to a larger. My new high school was in the suburbs, but similar in demographics where more students came from many more zip codes. I was expecting this, as though Philadelphia is a much larger area by population than Cleveland. 

I was trying to catch on quickly, learning these new school experiences leading me to my last class of the day, my eighth period World History 1 class. I introduced myself to my new teacher and was impressed with the classroom set up. As I was taking my seat, a classmate was called upon to answer the question about William the Conqueror’s famous military conquest of England. The classmate did not know the answer and suddenly my teacher called on me. My answer was the Battle of Hastings in 1066. I was correct and then this helped boost my confidence and set the stage for an experience I will never forget in my remaining high school years. 

Fast forward to today. I am instructing lessons in the same classroom where I answered my first correct question in the high school I currently teach as the social studies department chair. My classroom has not changed much since I sat in those same desks in my room. I kept the seating arrangements the way they were when I was a student in this room three decades earlier. I hold on to traditions that have great meaning for me. I am currently in my second year teaching at Archbishop Carroll High School and I have witnessed many changes since I last walked the halls as a student. 

The school uniforms have changed, as well as not having full-time religious as part of faculty or administration. The campus grounds are still well kept up. An independent private school occupied two floors as a tenant of the building. School offices have been relocated to other parts of the school reminding me where things used to be when I was a student. The changes have been an adjustment for me, especially having no more library. 

As an educator, I am hopeful several items of change could maybe revert back to the core values and rich history of the school. As a Navy veteran, I hold true to the Latin motto of our school, Pro Dio et Partia — for God and Country. 

Eric Tuwalski, Ed.D. is the Social Studies Department Chair at Archbishop John Carroll High School