Emerson’s hunt for a new English teacher to join the ELA Department has an exciting update. After students’ long wait and patience over the past few months, new GT Humanities and AP English Literature teacher Ariana Bunck has become part of the Maverick community. Starting halfway through the school year, Bunck strives to develop her teaching environment and learn about her students over time.
Graduating from University of North Texas in 2025, Bunck is fresh to teaching yet passionate to dive deeper into crafting her teaching style. Bunck shares her experience before coming to Emerson and her reflection on the transition.
“Honestly, [transitioning] was pretty seamless. I was a student teacher at Panther Creek, so I understand the basic ropes of Frisco ISD and [its] project-based learning, more importantly,” Bunck said. “It was a pretty easy transition for me to go from student teaching to full-time, first year teaching.”
For educators, teaching as a career option is either an unexpected journey or a path they have decided in the past. For Bunck, teaching had been her calling since she was young.
“I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was a junior in high school,” Bunck said. “In high school, I took a teaching class and started interning in elementary school class. I realized very quickly that elementary school was not for me, so I went to a middle school classroom and they were reading ‘The Giver.’ I was much more excited about that because I love the analysis component of literature.”
Beyond her enthusiasm for teaching English, she is dedicated to fostering a supportive classroom environment and developing lasting relationships with her students. She walks through her priorities for the classroom practices she hopes to implement.
“First and foremost, I care about the kids, and I need all of them to know that I care very much about you and your personal growth,” Bunck said. “My first commitment is to you, but then also I really encourage learning critical thinking. That is one of my big hallmarks, and I think it’s very important that we learn critical thinking and the AP Lit skills, because that’s applicable across all classes.”
When teachers step into new classrooms, their goals often center upon shaping an environment grounded in their own teaching philosophies. Bunck aims to bring her insights and values to her classes and students.
“What I hope to foster in this class especially is community,” Bunck said. “We can work through this together, and if we’re wrong, we’re wrong together. There’s not really right or wrong. I don’t think anyone should be afraid to speak their mind, and I would hope that I would react to it in a way that is supportive rather than discouraging.”
The beginning of one’s career is often marked by both excitement and uncertainty. Bunck shares her impression and reflections on starting her teaching career at Emerson.
“Coming in right at semester, getting to know all of you and just being kind of thrown right in the deep end is a little bit chaotic, but it’s a new start,” Bunck said. “I just could not be more excited to be here. I think we’re gonna have a fantastic rest of the year.”
