New math teacher Corey Pooler is eager to get involved with the ARHS community, through both academics and sports, as the new football kicking coach and middle distance track coach.

Pooler earned a degree in mathematics from Westfield State University and taught math at Willow Hill School in Sudbury before coming to Algonquin. Pooler is excited to teach high school math and coach after school.

“I like working with other people,” Pooler said. “I like exploring math; it’s an interesting subject and being a teacher fits my lifestyle.”

During the summer, Pooler enjoys traveling and doing volunteer work. In college, Pooler went on four service trips, two in Nicaragua and two in Guatemala. During these trips, he helped bring freshwater to rural areas and built structures, including a teacher’s classroom and a community center.

“Giving back to the community has always been something on my radar,” Pooler said. “My dad coached youth sports and my mom was active in my community.”

Pooler worked at Willow Hill School for three years. There, he primarily worked with students who had disabilities, which helped inform his work as a teacher at ARHS.

“Pooler’s well-roundedness and prior experience where he worked with kids who had disabilities made him an even more ideal candidate for the job,” Math Department Head Elizabeth Dore said.

Although Algonquin is different from his previous school, Pooler enjoys the new environment and school culture.

“I love that sports are big, the musical is going on, the activity fair just happened, and everybody is super supportive and engaged,” Pooler said.

Pooler looks forward to participating in activities at ARHS without pandemic-related restrictions.

“COVID made it hard to become involved,” Pooler said. “It was hard to be involved in activities outside of school, which is one of the biggest reasons I wanted to become a teacher.”

In college, Pooler participated in both Division III football and track, and is happy to share his experiences with ARHS athletes.

“After I joined the football team, one of the football coaches saw me run and convinced me to join the track team, where I ran both the 600 meter and 800 meter [races],” Pooler said.

Pooler’s previous experience and love for being involved in activities outside of Algonquin made him want to become a coach, and he looks forward to what the year has in store.

“I love coaching and connecting with students,” Pooler said. “So far, it’s been great.”