Applied Arts teacher Jonathan Cahill is in a new, full-time role but intends to continue his important impact on Algonquin students.
Cahill currently teaches Entrepreneurship, Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Digital Literacy. As a member of the ARHS Class of 2015, he began working as a substitute teacher at Algonquin in 2019. Throughout his time at Algonquin, Cahill has worked in numerous departments and positions in addition to coaching for the football and baseball teams.
Cahill’s energy and continued optimism fuel his love for teaching. His time attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst allowed him to develop his passion for business and teaching.
“I have loved [teaching business] because I went to business school, and I really enjoy the major,” Cahill said.
According to Cahill, his previous experiences are critical to his success as a teacher. As an Algonquin alumnus, Cahill connects with students through a strong understanding of how they feel while being at school.
“I am not that far removed from being a student, and while it is a different generation of students, I can relate to them well,” Cahill said. “I took these classes as a student here at Algonquin and I remember what it was like sitting in these classrooms.”
Cahill has enjoyed changing his new courses to align with his teaching style. His philosophies as a teacher shape the way his classes are set up while still following the required curriculum.
“Taking the courses that already existed and putting my own spin on them has been successful so far,” Cahill said.
Applied Arts and Technology Department Head George Clarke believes that Cahill’s connection with his peers and students contributes to his infectious energy and is a key factor in why he was chosen for his new position.
“It is an important thing as a teacher to develop relationships,” Clarke said. “He is really warm and welcoming towards the students.”
The Applied Arts and Technology department tends to have hands-on and interactive curricula, so Clarke was looking for someone who could offer fun and interesting lessons as a teacher. Different students require different needs, something that Cahill understands well.
“He is good at dealing with a wide variety of students who are coming from various places in their lives,” Clarke said.
Cahill’s role goes beyond the classroom through his coaching of boys’ football and baseball. He has learned a lot about teaching and students in particular as the head coach of the JV football team and the tight end coach of the varsity team. In both his time on the field and the classroom, Cahill strives to push his students toward finding what they want to do with the rest of their lives. This is what makes teaching so fulfilling for him.
“[I enjoy] helping the students explore their passions,” Cahill said. “There is something for everyone here at Algonquin.”
Cahill is excited to continue to grow as a teacher and a resource for students, something now possible in his new position.
“The moment in class when you’re teaching and you see your students have their ‘aha’ moment— that’s unbeatable as a teacher,” Cahill said.
The process of improvement as a teacher and a student is something Cahill believes in and emphasizes to students.
“You have to work hard to become good at something, whether it is in any class,” Cahill said. “…You have to work hard, [and] you have to practice.”
