"Teaching makes me hungry," remarked Mrs. Susan Bruce. She then added, "It's anything but boring."

Mrs. Bruce, new to Maine West this year, teaches four freshman English classes, which, in her opinion, are "high spirited."

This 5' 6" teacher has sparkling, hazel eyes and short, brown hair. "Students who have exceptional ability but don't use it" is her pet peeve. Mrs. Bruce advises students to "Work up to your potential because you get out of education only what you put into it." Mrs. Bruce wishes that students would realize the opportunities they have and "learn to want to learn."

Ideas Expressed

"I like teaching a great deal," commented Mrs. Bruce, "and I also like the organization of Maine West very much." Before coming to Maine West Mrs. Bruce taught at a junior high school in Mt. Prospect.

A graduate of Northwestern University, she is working for her master's degree at Illinois Teachers College. She has traveled through New England, Canada, and the western states and likes the New England area best. She likes to spend her spare time reading.

The funniest thing that ever happened to Mrs. Bruce was something that happens every day. It seems that Miss Streng's car door does not want to close. "It's very embarrassing to see Miss Streng run around to my side, slam the door, and get back to her side of the car before we can drive away. I'm sure it's an amusing sight in the D‑wing parking lot."

"Students should realize that the toughest part of any job is beginning it," stated Mr. John Graef, English teacher. Mr. Graef stands 6' 2" and is a new addition to the Maine West faculty.

MW Finest Suburban School

Before coming to Maine West Mr. Graef taught for nine years at Austin and Lane Tech high schools in Chicago. For the past seven years he has also taught summer school in Chicago.

Mr. Graef feels that Maine West is the finest suburban school he has ever come in contact with during his teaching career. He doubts that he will ever regret the change from Chicago schools to Maine West. "The atmosphere here is marvelous but could be better if all the students, instead of just a few, realized their duties as young Americans."

Mr. Graef is married and has a 15‑month‑old son. His hobbies include fiction writing, sports, and traveling. He has traveled over most of the United States and hopes to someday take a world tour. He regrets that he hasn't more free time for his favorite pastime‑fiction writing.

A graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, he plans to attend several classes this coming fall at night school. He also hopes to be a member of the Maine West faculty for many years.

That Embarrassing Moment

So far, the most embarrassing moment in his teaching experience here at Maine occurred when Mr. Graef mistook a speech contestant for a Westerner reporter.

Mr. Graef views teaching as "one of mankind's finest professions, which I'm sure will become increasingly more important in the near future."