The Buzz

It is rare to meet a student who has interacted with Mr. Spinney that has not been emotionally touched by him in some way.  Mr. Spinney has the ability to build meaningful connections with all his students through his positive, joking attitude and his passionate teaching and coaching style.  Needless to say, Mr. Spinney is an extremely positive force around North Reading High School and for many, school would not be the same without him.  

This widely held sentiment lended itself in the form of being voted Student Council’s “Teacher of the Month” for March.  About this title, Mr. Spinney explains, “It’s a humbling thing; it’s not a thing that people take lightly”.  Spinney jokingly addresses the students who voted for him, saying, “Thank you for stuffing the ballot box, I guess my campaign for candy or higher grades went through.”  He goes on to share his appreciation for the award by describing what it means to him.  Spinney expresses, “…a lot of us in the profession wonder if we’re really connecting with kids and that’s something I try to do everyday.”

With coaching three sports all seasons of the school year and teaching three classes transcending subjects, many wonder how Mr. Spinney does it all.  Since Mr. Spinney arrived at North Reading, eighteen years ago, he has always strived to achieve the greatest levels in regards to his contribution to the school community.  Now, he teaches U.S. History 1, Sports Entertainment Marketing, and Marketing and Sales but he has taught many other business and history classes in past years.  Spinney expounds upon this broad range of classes in saying, “I’m kind of lucky because I have a lot of interests and I’m able to teach a lot of things.”

Upon being asked about his favorite of these classes, Spinney chooses a class that he pioneered: Sports Entertainment and Marketing.  “It’s kinda like my baby,” Spinney describes.  He started this class ten years ago and hopes to employ skills around smart consumerism and teach an understanding of marketing to his students.  Pertaining to  the sports and entertainment component of this class, Spinney puts it simply, “I love talking about sports; I love talking about entertainment, so it’s kinda fun to be able to connect with students on that level too.” 

Along with this appreciation for business, Spinney also has a passion for history.  “I just love to read about it; I love to learn about it; I love to…absorb as much as I can about certain topics,” Spinney illustrates.   As far as topics go, the Civil War intrigues him the most,  His passion lies in the stories that have come out of this distinct period in American History.  He adds that he has visited Civil War battle sights to learn more about this era of history.

Apart from in class, Spinney connects with a lot of students who run for him on sports teams as well.  He coaches boys’ and girls’ cross country, boys’ indoor track and boys’ outdoor track.  His first year at NRHS, Spinney was a volunteer for all three sports.  By his third year, however, Spinney had risen through the ranks and become the head coach for the boys’ outdoor track team.  It took about seven or eight years until Spinney was finally head coach for all three.

With all this involvement in the running programs at NRHS it’s a wonder to think that Spinney wasn’t always a runner.  To recount his introduction to the sport, Spinney recalls, “I got in shape for hockey.”  He got a letter from his fourth grade gym teacher, who was also the cross country coach, that asked if he would try out for cross country.  Upon doing so he discovered that “running is [his] passion.”  Spinney gave up hockey in order to run all three seasons and he believes that the letter he received in the mail altered his life’s trajectory for the better.  Spinney goes on to conclude, “Ten marathons later and hundreds and probably thousands of miles…it’s a good sport to be a part of.”

All in all, it is no surprise that Mr. Spinney is this month’s Teacher of the Month.  His dedication and passion for everything he does is unmatched and recognised by all the students he has touched and built connections with over the years.  From business class to track meets, Mr. Spinney never fails to make North Reading High Schoolers feel valued and supporters and for that, voting him for the position is the least we could do.