From the moment you walk into his classroom you can already tell he isn’t like most teachers you’ve seen before. Star Wars, Grateful Dead, and Chicago sports posters span from wall to wall. A desk sits in the corner, covered in clutter, and sitting behind it is a man whose name tag says he is your English teacher. His name is Donnie Zelaya, and he’ll be your teacher for the next 180 school days.

     “I try to do whatever I can to not be just another cookie cutter teacher. That’s one of my favorite things about my tattoos. It makes you go, ‘Oh, he’s different,’” Zelaya said.

     Junior Mya Baker, a student in Zelaya’s English Literature and Composition class, sees Zelaya’s effort to stand out through his teaching style.

     “He always adds a lot of videos and fun things with his teaching to really break up the class,” Baker said.

     Even though he’s only been at NHS for six months, Zelaya’s unique approach to teaching is already acknowledged and appreciated by his peers. It took just one semester for history teacher Stanley Abell to discover Zelaya’s unique look on life.

     ”He always thinks like, ‘How can we design curriculum so that it assures student learning at the highest level?’” Abell said.

     In addition, Abell has noticed the different applications of education tools Zelaya uses in his classroom.

     “He sees an opportunity to apply creative solutions to his teachings and goes for it,” Abell said.

     Zelaya, currently in his first year at NHS, spent time at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis and Creekside Middle School in Carmel, along with several other schools across the country. Zelaya says he found himself in a spot where he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to continue teaching. 

     “I’d come to a point in my career where I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I didn’t really have that connection with the kids like I used to.” Zelaya said.

     After winding up at Noblesville, Zelaya already says he’s found the perfect environment for his teaching style.

     “This is year 23 of teaching and I could see myself going another 20 here in this environment,” Zelaya said.

     Zelaya says it took a school like NHS to bring his love for teaching back. 

     “This has been everything I could’ve wished for and more,” Zelaya said. “I couldn’t ask for a better experience. It’s honestly helped give me a new lease on life.”