All students at Pitman have taken or will eventually take a social studies class. Social studies, or, the study of human behavior in society, is a broad category that includes subjects such as history, government, business, and even agriculture. At Pitman, we have been introduced to four new social studies teachers who have come to share their knowledge on the vast and interesting subject. Here is a quick overview of a few of the new teachers:

Colin Wenstrand teaches senior government and economics and has done so for 20 years. Before coming to Pitman, Wenstrand taught at a national school in South America, where he lived with his family before coming back to California. In addition to teaching, Wenstrand is the varsity boys’ water polo coach, a sport he greatly enjoys. Wenstrand’s favorite thing about Pitman is the student body itself, saying, “I feel very privileged to have such kind and hard-working students.”

Tanya White teaches a variety of different subjects – educational psychology, child development, life management, and food. While she is in her 16th year of teaching, it isn’t her first year in Turlock as she has worked in the growing town previously. Like Wenstrand, White enjoys the students of Pitman High, and appreciates the opportunities to get to know new students and faculty members. She also likes the curriculum Pitman offers and is excited about her experience at Pitman so far!

George Santos is a first year teacher of world history at Pitman High School. Although he was a substitute last year, he is new to the world of teaching, as he was previously in the insurance business for seven years. He describes his favorite aspect of Pitman High School as being “the community. The people here – faculty and students alike – are clearly family to each other, which is something you can’t see in other work places.”

These new staff members aren’t the only ones with excitement, however. Their students are extremely pleased and thankful for the opportunity to learn under such teachers.

Audrey Morgan, a senior at Pitman who has Wenstrand, is no exception. She stated, “I admire how Mr. Wenstrand can transition from a coach to a teacher while using those aspects to help us in his teaching. He has a spunky attitude on life and his experience from traveling has led him to be very cultured.”
Sofi Laiton, who had Santos last year when he was a substitute teacher under Mr. Harrold, also provided praise for his teaching, saying, “He was a great teacher from the start, it was so helpful to have a teacher that would explain the content thoroughly for our understanding.”