IT teacher Erin Marshall has taught networking for 23 years total, 15 years at Gaithersburg and eight years here.
He accidentally became a teacher at a private school where the school did not have a networking teacher and asked him if he would take the job. He was hired and enjoyed the job of teaching students the subject.

What this would eventually lead to is continuous offers to teach the class at other places until he was working full time as a teacher. One of the driving reasons to keep going with the job was how it filled his schedule and gave him something to do during the day that he enjoyed.

Marshall has running jokes between him and his students like calling grades “chickens” so that he can tell his students to take care of their chickens. This creates advice Marshall has for all students: “Work hard. The harder you work, the luckier you get,” Marshall said.

Marshall’s favorite part about teaching here is his interactions with students. He says that they may not always be positive but it tends to be the highlight of his day.

An example of such interactions would be like the argument between him and the rest of the class about when midnight truly is. Students had come to him regarding the “speak up, save a life” video contest and its due date of 12 a.m. on Nov. 12 which led to the whole class arguing about if midnight of the next day falls on the current night or the upcoming night.

Marshall’s class is different from other classes here because his class is the exact same one seen in college. Students have a chance to earn a certification in networking from Marshall’s class and he finds it rewarding to see students successfully get this certification. “These classes provide industry skills so it can prepare students for careers,” Marshall said.

Marshall knows that students realize that he is a different teacher compared to most. His weekly presentation, “Wisdom Wednesday,” is an act that he does every Wednesday at the beginning of every class.

He is also different from other teachers because he doesn’t teach Physical Education but still has a key to the lower gym where he will play basketball against students. If the student is from his class and loses the game, they have to get cookies for the class.