At Riverbend, many teachers are known for their expressions, which are meant to brighten their students’ days. Mr. Purcell, who teaches world geography and sociology, is one teacher known for his expressions.

Some of his known expressions he mentioned include “good morning, good morning, good morning” and “toodles.” He said he started using “toodles” when he was ten, and it’s just something he has always done. He began using “good morning, good morning, good morning” four years ago. He also mentioned that he used to take after his deep-south uncle, often saying “howdy homie,” something Mr. Purcell is now thankful to have broken the habit of.

The expressions used by teachers are meant to put students in a better mood and make them feel more comfortable. Relating an expression to a person, friend, or student makes conversations flow more smoothly and feel less boring. It’s a way to lift people’s moods or gauge how they are feeling that day. 

Expressions often have stories behind them, explaining why they are said or how they came to be. Mr. Purcell shared a story about how he used to say, “Man, I’m just working here until something blows up in my face.” During his first year at Riverbend, while teaching sociology, a student took a charging block, wrapped it in gum foil, and plugged it into the wall, creating a small explosion. The student then said to Mr. Purcell, “Look, it blew up in your face, Mr. Purcell!”

Mr. Purcell’s unique expressions not only reflect his personality but also serve to brighten students’ days and make learning more engaging. Through humor and personal stories, Mr. Purcell offers valuable lessons about authenticity in communication. 

Another teacher known for their expressions is Mr. Andrews, he teaches Honors English 10. One of his most known expressions is “Yo Bears.” Which he started using when he first came to Riverbend. 

During class he said he used to use “write that down” when a student thought of something but, he said that he kind of got away from that phrase. 

Transitioning back to History, Mr. O’Brien is a widely known teacher for expressions. It starts as soon as students enter the school in the mornings. He is spotted in the hallways mostly every morning, reminding students what day it is, the weather forecast, and overall greeting them. His expressions tend to put students in a better mood. He started doing this in the morning last year at the end of the year and he couldn’t stop, quite literally.

He said “I am serious, I got stuck at the copier yesterday morning and when a teacher is copying and there is a jam, a teacher can’t leave, somebody else comes and then they have to unjam the copier which takes like 10 minutes, so I was like 10 minutes late,” then he said, “I must have had 5 students all day say, Mr. O’Brien where were you!”

He also said he would get fist bumps from students and try to get students to smile, it doesn’t have a negative effect, there is positivity in it. Mr. O’Brien enjoys positive moods and feeds off good moods from students which makes it the perfect job for him because he enjoys teaching.

Mr. O’Brien has taught at other schools but Riverbend has had the kindest student body he’s ever seen. Which he says that’s the nicest thing he could ever say about anybody, for how kind they are.