BAHS Bio-Medical Teacher, Mr. Joshua Weeks, is one of 54 nominees for the HCPS teacher of the year award. 

Every year, HCPS honors 54 teachers as nominees, nominated by students and families, for the teacher of the year. As teachers continue through the process, the list narrows down further until there is just one teacher left, and that teacher is honored as Harford County Public Schools’ Teacher of the Year for that school year. This year, Bel Air High School’s very own Weeks has been nominated for the prestigious award. 

Weeks has been a teacher at Bel Air High School for 13 years now; previously, he taught at Dundalk High School for 3 years. At BAHS, Weeks teaches Honors Biology, AP Biology, and Medical Interventions which is an 11th grade Biomedical Science Course. Weeks is also the Science Department Chair and the advisor for Science National Honor Society. 

Aubrey Klarman, a student who had Mr. Weeks for Honors Biology in her freshmen year, expressed that she thinks “there is no one more deserving of this award than Mr. Weeks. He’s an amazing teacher who truly cares about the success of his students while also teaching them all the important things to learn in Biology. Even though his class can be challenging, Mr. Weeks finds ways to make it fun and always has your best interest at heart. He’s such a great teacher.” 

When faced with the question of why he wanted to become a science teacher, Weeks shared it was a personal love of his own. “Science has always been my favorite subject and I was inspired by some of my favorite teachers in high school and college like Mr. Mentz, Mr. Walstrum, and Mr. Harbert at Aberdeen High and Mrs. Middleton at Towson University. They showed me that learning difficult subjects could still be enjoyable and fun. Each day was an opportunity to learn something new and to become stronger in any discipline. I love being able to share my love of science with students and to teach them material that will apply to their lives beyond my classroom.” 

Weeks also entailed that this nomination feels “humbling” for him. “I feel like there are so many teachers here at Bel Air High School who are more deserving and more accomplished. I don’t know what the criteria is for the nomination process, but you always feel slightly inadequate when you think of the amazing staff here at BAHS and throughout the county.” 

Weeks has made a great impact on students here at BAHS and we feel lucky to have him as a teacher here. His one piece of advice that he shared he would give to his students, would be reflecting on your decisions. “Learn from your mistakes and don’t let them define you. We can all accomplish amazing feats, but sometimes we let our shortcomings prevent us from reaching our full potential. We should always have a positive, growth mindset and should look at each day as a new opportunity to start fresh and improve upon what came before.” 

When students take his classes, Weeks hopes that their big take away is that they “understand more about the human body and the intricate internal processes and understand how to make informed decisions when it comes to healthcare in their future.” He also hopes that they “gain an appreciation of the natural world and why it is so important to preserve what we have for our own sakes and for future generations.” 

There is no doubt that Mr. Weeks has made a great impact on the students at BAHS, and we wish him the best of luck as he continues in this nomination process. We, here at The Bellarion and at Bel Air High School, are all rooting for you, Mr. Weeks!