Growing up as a City High student, young doctor Michael Ayers was cynical about the slogan “The School That Leads” thinking that every school said and believed in this. After graduating, however, he soon realized that his thoughts about City High School were thoroughly misconceived. In fact, many other schools actually talked about City High in admiration, noting its leadership and achievements.

“I’d have to say, it would be hard for me to separate the things that I have noticed now about City High from the things I remember back from when I went here,” Ayers said.

Prior to his current position, Ayers spent 15 years of his education career teaching at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. After teaching at City for two weeks, Ayers is already taking notice of City High’s vibrant atmosphere.

“I would have to say that City High has a really vibrant population of students who I’m enjoying working with,” Ayers said.

Ayers noted more similarities than differences between Kennedy and City. Ayers was happy to see the role Best Buddies played in both communities.

“Best buddies was a big deal at Kennedy, and it’s a big deal here, so it’s exciting for me. It’s a really big deal here at City High which I think is fantastic,” Ayers said. “Coming from somebody who has a sister with a lot of special needs and who is here at City High, that issue is really important to me; that organization is really important to me.”

Regarding his method of teaching, Ayers advocates for the development of positive relationships with students.

“I think the most important thing of teaching is the relationships with the students, and not assuming that students automatically should be interested in what you want them to be interested in,” Ayers said.

Although Ayers acknowledges the amount of work required, he still remains enthusiastic about the subjects he teaches.

“There’s persuasion involved, like getting students on board, but that’s why I feel lucky to be teaching something that I’m passionate about,” Ayers said. “My hope is that what I’m teaching comes across to them, because you don’t want to be taught by someone who only seems half interested in what they’re teaching.”

Ayers’ ideal learning atmosphere is composed of a variety of different elements: learning constructively from the internet, and allowing students a chance to explain their thought processes when solving problems.

For Ayers, City High provides such an atmosphere. The engaging staff and the abundance of opportunities also contribute to his fondness of City High’s environment.

“I think that what is most ideal about City High is that you’ve got a passionate staff of teachers who really care about their students and really really know their stuff, and students living in a town of a Big Ten university have a lot of opportunities that not every kid gets,” Ayers said. “We’re surrounded by science and art in this town and so many opportunities. Those are all things that make City High and teaching in Iowa City just an awesome opportunity.”