If you’re roaming the halls of River Dell, you may notice a new face. His name is Mr. Cotton.
Graduating from Pascack Valley High in 2020 and TCNJ in 2024, Cotton began teaching 8th grade history in Emerson. After a year at Emerson, he heard about an opening at River Dell and was excited by the thought of teaching high school, something he’d always wanted to do.
Hoping to start his year off on the right foot, Mr. Cotton is looking to improve his teaching chops. He’s found support in coworkers, especially Dr. Torres, the Supervisor of English and Social Studies.
“He’s clearly excited about teaching,” says Dr. Torres acknowledging Mr. Cotton’s ability to connect with students and coworkers.
Teaching freshmen and juniors this year; Mr. Cotton is from the same generation as his students and finds it easier to connect with them thanks to their shared experiences.
Mr. Cotton’s mentor, Mr. Ken Sarajian, a history teacher at PV said that Mr. Cotton, “he now sees his role from the other side. Not as the student, but as a guide to his students.”
Ms. McCambridge, a fellow social studies teacher, notes that Mr. Cotton, “cares so much for his students and his lessons.”
“He is always ready to jump in and help someone out,” she added.
Born into a business-oriented family, Mr. Cotton is the only person in his family to become a teacher. However, he’s been interested in his career from a young age and he didn’t let tradition get in the way of his dreams.
He has two younger brothers. One went to TCNJ with him. They got lunch every weekend.
In high school, he was known for being a great basketball player. He was a shooting guard on the varsity team. Mr. Cotton’s passion for basketball is still alive these days. He continues to play for a men’s league in Allendale, and he hopes to coach at River Dell someday. Though basketball is his main passion, he also played baseball in high school and won the intermural volleyball championship at TCNJ twice.
