For many students, starting school can be nerve-wracking. Try being both a new teacher and a new coach. Teachers Jeremy Starks and Joseph Peculis are taking on their first year as Noblesville educators and speech coaches.

Jeremy Starks, 23, teaches English 9 at NHS. Before coming to Noblesville, he studied at Purdue University and taught a year at Lafayette’s McCutchen High School as a student teacher.

What does your role entail?

I see this as a concentrated effort among a group of leaders, not just me as the head coach saying, ‘We’re doing this, this and this.’ I want to make sure that there’s cohesiveness and lines of communication [with other coaches] as well as the six captains. It’s not a one-man show, and if it was, it would be terrible.

What were you like in high school?

I was studious and I got my work done, but I was usually the one to be the wise-cracking joker. I was able to take that class clown energy and redirect that energy to stuff that was more productive, like [theater and improv].

 What’s your favorite part?

At the start of the year [students] have this piece, and you’re always giving feedback…but by the end of the season, [I] just kind of sit there in awe to think, ‘God, this is where student A started, and now they’re here.’

Joseph Peculis, 22, is a first-year Chemistry teacher and Indiana University graduate. After studying debate in high school and cololege, he looks forward to leading the first debate team at NHS in over a decade.

What’s your goal for the year?

My goal is to get it to the point where we have a formal team and we have students coming and competing. Part of my goal with that is eventually merging with the speech team.

What makes you qualified?

I think being in it this long definitely helps. I was a debater. I’ve coached. I’ve judged. I’ve seen it from all different angles.

What quirks come out in your teaching or coaching?

I like to think I’m hip. My students don’t. I was telling them about my Myspace last week, and they were making fun of me about that. I like to try and convince myself that I’m still in-the-know, but my students like to laugh at me about that.