Many people have had Mr. Malt’s history class. Unfortunately, after fifteen years, Mr. Malt has left Marriotts Ridge. He is not retiring, but being transferred to the HCPSS Division of Academics in the Secondary Social Studies.
Mr. Malt has been at MRHS for many years. He has watched people pass his class and graduate over a dozen times. Unsurprisingly, he will miss this place as much as students will miss him.
“Marriotts Ridge High School has been my home for the past 15 years. I grew up in New Jersey, went to the University of Maryland, College Park, and decided to stick around Maryland. After receiving an open contract with HCPSS, I interviewed at three different high schools and instantly felt at home at Marriotts Ridge.” Mr Malt said. He also shared incredible insight on his experiences with his students and fellow educators at the school.
“The MRHS students and staff will be sorely missed. I’ve seen 14 different classes of students graduate and have managed to stay in contact with many former students. Establishing those relationships and getting to share in student learning, growth and achievement is what drove me to become a teacher and was the best part about the job,” Mr. Malt said.
He shared his belief that teaching is not just a job, but a practice.
“I’m also going to miss the art of teaching. I think it necessary to look critically at the past in order to better understand the present. The staff at MRHS are an incredibly dedicated group of individuals that care about student success. They have inspired me to be the best for my students every day. Not much can rival the feeling of seeing students do well or have a breakthrough moment in their studies, their activities, or their personal lives,” he said.
Mr. Malt’s new job is away from MRHS but still correlates to his former job as a social studies teacher that was loved by many of the students who had him.
“I will be working within the HCPSS Division of Academics in the Secondary Social Studies curricular office. While there are many aspects to my new job, one of the most important will be to provide support to middle and high school social studies teachers around the county. In this capacity, I will be able to be back at the MRHS from time to time to support social studies teachers.”
Not everybody knows Mr. Malt as a social studies teacher; he is also the cross country coach. Unfortunately, he will also be leaving this position. Mr. Malt is an excellent coach and many student athletes will miss him, too.
“Unfortunately, the requirements of my new position include hours that are not conducive to coaching cross country. I started coaching outdoor track and volunteering with the cross country team in my first year teaching. Even as a student teacher, I volunteered to coach softball. In coaching, I believe in challenging students to not just be better athletes, but to be better teammates, classmates, and citizens, and that every person adds value to the team. I cherish these relationships and will miss these athletes tremendously.”
Mr. Malt’s extraordinary work has been acknowledged by MRHS and the county, winning HCPSS First Year Teacher of the Year when he started teaching. Despite his accomplishments, Mr. Malt doesn’t think of his new job as a promotion.
“I don’t know that I would refer to this position as a promotion, as I truly believe that it can’t get any better than the work teachers do for their students, every day. Teaching isn’t just a job; it is a vocation or a practice. Every day, teachers learn from their students, shift to meet the multiple demands of the job, and often set aside personal hardship, heartache, or anxieties to show up for their students every day. I was afforded this new position because I applied for it and was accepted, but also because I was looking for new opportunities. “
Mr. Malt will be missed sorely by the school, students and fellow teachers.