Jereme Vinette is a new addition to the Mount Greylock staff as a middle school English teacher. The Echo sat down with Vinette to discuss his experience as a teacher at Mount Greylock so far. 

Echo: What led you to become a teacher? 

Jereme Vinette: I didn’t think about becoming a teacher until several years after I graduated from college. I was a music major and English minor in school. I was encouraged to get my license and first teaching position by my mother and my wife, who are both teachers as well.

Echo: Why did you choose to come to Mount Greylock?

JV: From when I started teaching, I always wanted to end up here at Greylock. I graduated from this school and many teachers that I had when I was a student still teach here. Maybe I didn’t always appreciate it when I was a student, but the excellent staff here truly prepares students well for life after high school. 

Echo: Where did you work prior to Greylock?

JV: Prior to Greylock, I spent three years at Hoosac Valley teaching mostly 9th and 10th grade English. I have also taught 6th grade ELA [English Language Arts] in Pittsfield at Reid Middle School. I also worked as a special education teacher at Hillcrest Educational Centers. Before teaching, I worked all sorts of different jobs. I’ve been a cook, a museum security guard, and in residential mental health.

Echo: What is the most rewarding part of being a teacher at Greylock? What is the hardest part?

JV: The students here are unbelievably dedicated, creative, and compassionate. This sounds cliché, but I think I’m learning just as much from them as they are from me. The hardest thing would have to be grading essays and prepping for classes. I have two young kids at home, so free time is at a premium. That’s not unique to this position though, just the plight of all teachers. 

Echo: What made you interested in becoming an English teacher?

JV: I’ve always loved literature because of the mystery of it. It’s like a puzzle to try to figure out what an author is really conveying about a character, event, or piece of dialogue. Also, my mother is now retired but she taught English for many years at LES [Lanesborough Elementary School]. She encouraged me to enter the profession and I hope to be as good a teacher as she was.