Just weeks into teaching ninth-grade English through Temple Teacher Residency, a program in Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development, Ryan Macuch texted Amy Scallon, the college’s director of field and clinical experiences, to tell her he could already see that teaching would be the hardest thing he had ever done.

That assessment came from someone with 12 years in the U.S. Army.

Macuch knew how to lead, train others and take on responsibility. At Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical School in Philadelphia, he is discovering how much more he needs to learn to help a classroom of teenagers succeed. As a Temple Teacher Residency (TTR) participant, he has an experienced mentor teacher beside him and a network of educators supporting his development as a high school English teacher.

During a classroom visit early in the school year, Scallon observed Macuch leading instruction and building relationships grounded in mutual respect.

“If I walked in not knowing who he was, I would think he was the teacher,” Scallon said.

For Macuch, that growth is closely tied to the way TTR prepares aspiring educators. The program connects sustained classroom experience with graduate study, mentorship and coaching, helping him build on his professional background while developing the skills his students need from him.

“One of the values of the Army is selfless service, and that is something that I took away from the military,” he said.

Macuch joined the Army in 2007 and became a counterintelligence special agent. His responsibilities required careful interviewing, research, analysis and clear communication. Working with people whose experiences differed from his own also shaped how he listens and approaches relationships.

After leaving the Army in 2019, he continued in public service through positions with the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor. Still, he was searching for the sense of purpose he had known in the military.

In his late 30s, he earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Rutgers University-Camden, where he also competed on the men's golf team. Golfing friend Judy Haughton, principal at Swenson Arts & Technology High School in Philadelphia, saw potential in his experience training others. A longtime TTR partner, Haughton introduced Macuch to Scallon and the program.

“With Ryan, it was immediately so clear that he is extremely motivated,” Scallon said. “Very compassionate and empathetic, and just willing to do whatever it takes to do the absolute best job he can do.”

Macuch is pursuing a master of education in secondary education with a concentration in English and expects to graduate in May 2027. He teaches ninth-grade English language arts alongside his mentor teacher, Nayo Griffin. A yearlong residency placement at the school helps him connect what he is learning through his graduate coursework with decisions he makes in the classroom. 

“The biggest benefit from this program is being in the classroom with the teacher, and all the graduate coursework just kind of supplements that,” Macuch said.

The sustained experience gives him opportunities to observe, try an approach, receive feedback and return to the classroom ready to adjust. He is developing his own teaching practice while learning from an educator who knows the students and the school community.

Scallon described that support as a defining feature of TTR. The program considers the experiences residents bring with them and the skills each needs to develop, with deliberate attention to school placements and mentor pairings.

“We realize that our residents have different needs,” she said.

Mentors, coaches, faculty and staff work together to respond to those needs. For career changers like Macuch, that support helps bridge the gap between their professional experience and the demands of the classroom. His military service gave him experience leading others. Teaching high school English called for learning how to guide students through new material and help them find meaning in it.

Griffin, who is celebrating her 20th year of teaching, saw how seriously Macuch took that task in his early hesitation to lead instruction. He wanted to be sure he could make the content meaningful.

“This wasn’t born out of any type of fear or insecurity, but from a position of respecting the importance of this work,” she said.

Since then, he has begun creating and delivering his own lessons, suggesting ways to support students who need additional help, and mentoring a student preparing for education after high school.

Macuch is focused on making the most of the opportunity to learn from Griffin and the school community.

“I’m trying to absorb as much information as possible from my mentor teacher, from the school,” he said.

He is also learning how much teaching depends on trust. His humor can help ease an exchange that might otherwise become a confrontation. When a student hesitates to remove a hat because of a bad hair day, Macuch, who has no hair, has a response ready: “It can’t look worse than mine.”

“He shows them that he’s genuinely invested in them,” Griffin said. “Students tend to listen to people they trust, so gaining that trust is an important tool in a good teacher’s repertoire.”

English gives Macuch a place to draw on his background while helping students develop their own voices. Research, writing and evaluating information were central to his earlier work. In a recent lesson on ethos, pathos and logos, students considered persuasive techniques in news coverage and why their arguments need evidence.

For Macuch, progress is also visible in smaller exchanges: a student greeting him in the morning or asking a question when something does not make sense. He wants students to feel comfortable working through difficulty, knowing he is there to help them improve.

“Every day you’re in the classroom, you see a benefit to why you’re teaching,” he said.

He brings that same care to how he talks about the community where he teaches. Kensington is home to his students and their families, and he wants its strengths recognized alongside its challenges.

Griffin said the partnership works both ways. Residents learn from experienced teachers, and those teachers benefit from “the zeal and fresh outlook the resident brings.” 

“Ryan is the real deal,” Griffin said. “He’s committed to the success of our students and the improvement of his craft.”

Macuch is finding renewed purpose in the daily work of teaching. He is candid about being early in his development as an English teacher and confident in the people helping him prepare.

“I’m very much early in my process of learning how to become proficient in these things,” he said. “But I’m very confident that Temple is going to get me squared away.”

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About Temple Teacher Residency
Temple Teacher Residency (TTR), housed in Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development, prepares aspiring teachers through graduate coursework, classroom experience and mentorship. In partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, TTR helps residents develop the knowledge and skills to serve students in Philadelphia schools. Learn more about Temple Teacher Residency.