Mr. Goebelbecker is the newest member of the English department and today we’ll be asking him some questions. Before coming to Wayne Hills Mr. Goebelbecker taught at schools in Newark and Hackensack. He decided to work at Hills for a vast number of reasons. He says, “Being such a large school, there are a lot of opportunities for me to get involved and grow as a teacher and a person.” 

Mr. Goebelbecker completed most of his education at  Montclair State University. He graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in General Humanities. Afterward, he attended Montclair State again for his Master’s, graduating with an MAT in English a few years later. He said he first decided to become a teacher in college. He states, “I became interested in teaching in college. I had a fantastic professor who really opened my mind to different ways of thinking about, well, everything. I became a teacher to share that life-changing experience with others. In that way, teaching has become a way for me to “pay it forward” and help others grow and develop into the people they want to become.” 

This new teacher has an interesting philosophy. His style of teaching is a strong reflection of his personality. He says, “In short, my teaching philosophy is built on exploring a topic from as many perspectives as possible. I like to encourage students to think creatively and critically about literature, and I aim to have as many discussions as possible. To me, it’s more fun to hear from others and have a fun exploration of a topic, and I feel getting as many people involved in the conversation is the best way to open up minds about literature.” Wayne Hills’ newest English teacher is definitely a new and interesting new addition to a growing school.