As the last week of school approaches, teachers at Coppell HIgh School are collecting their things from dusty cabinets, disposing of the assortment of random items left behind that comes with teaching teenagers, and restoring their rooms to an order respectable for the next year.

On June 2, they will close their doors with a smile (or a sigh of relief) and think “See you next year”.

On the other hand, AP English Language and Composition and Honors English II teacher Zach Sherman will bid adieu to his familiar room. When the 2016-2017 school year rolls around, he will be miles away in a suburb of Houston, teaching for the first time at The Connection School of Houston.

“What made me think about making a move was just looking for a smaller environment in which I could teach fewer students,” Sherman said. “I could teach them better. I think English is a subject that there is a lot of skill involved, and it’s very tough to teach a skill in a mass setting.”

The 2015-2016 school year saw an all-time high of enrolled students at CHS, pushing some class sizes to 30 students or more. Sherman believes that large class numbers do not allow for the kind of teaching the English requires.

“Reading and writing and discussing, thinking about literature – it’s just different than other content areas,” Sherman said.

Another area of concern for Sherman was the future,

“I was thinking about something smaller, and long term,” Sherman said. “The more I’ve taught the more I’ve thought that it’s difficult to envision myself doing this for 30 years.”

As the year wraps up and he packs up his things – including a folder of every thank you card and thoughtful letter he’s received over the years –  Sherman is both excited and feeling bittersweet.

“I’ll miss the kids and my colleagues,” Sherman said. “So really, the people here at CHS.”