Many teachers establish friendships purely because of teaching in the same department, but for Language Arts teachers PJ Arway and Mark Mosley, that’s not the case. While their friendship was formed roughly five years ago due to teaching similar classes, their bond has only grown since because of their common interests and desire to help students and each other achieve success.
They each have their own traits and family lives, but over the years they’ve helped each other in figuring out how to make their teaching and personal lives a bit more tranquil and organized.
“While my family life has always been the most important, it may not have always seemed that way,” Arway said. “He’s able to have four kids who are involved in so many different activities, and to be the father, the husband, and the family man that he is. The way he puts family, faith, and everything first, is something that I’ve actually used as a guide for me over the years. It’s been a positive impact on my personal life, just from following Mosley and seeing how he does things.”
With Mosley being the head coach for softball and Arway an assistant coach, they’ve been able to be there for each other and help assist one another under difficult circumstances.
“He is probably one of the most selfless people I know,” Mosley said. “For many years he’s lived right up the street from Eureka, whereas I’m 30 minutes away. There’s been times where he’ll be like ‘hey, I’m gonna go up to the field and check this out, you go home and get to your family.’ That is something that means a ton to me, because it’s very hard being a head coach when you’ve got four young children.”
They both have a way of feeding off of each others tips and tricks to help improve their success with teaching, coaching, and spending time with family.
“He has a way of maximizing the time of whatever compartment he’s in,” Arway said. “When he’s with family, it is 100%, he’s there, he’s present, he’s with them. When he’s in his classroom or he’s lesson planning, he’s 100% with those students, with that lesson. And the same thing goes with softball and practice plans and whatnot. When you talk about life skills, I still haven’t even figured that out.”
Spending time together while coaching has helped them work past any differences, and gain understanding of one another’s perspective.
“As corny as it sounds, I know that when he’s disagreeing with me it’s coming from a place of support and love, and he’s trying to make me as good as I can be,” Mosley said. “It’s just understanding that nobody is doing anything out of any ill will. It’s a trust thing, I think.”
The evolution these two have experienced not only as teachers but as friends, has helped their friendship only grow stronger.
“We’re close enough and confident enough in our own selves to disagree with each other, and know that we’re not walking away angry and holding resentment or anything,” Mosley said. “We’re seeing each other from a different perspective which I think is a skill a lot of young people can improve on, is being able to differ in thoughts about something and know that it doesn’t change the relationship with the person.”
The duo share many alike opinions, but still have the ability to find commonalities or appreciation towards each others individual ideologies.
“Even in our differences, we find unification,” Arway said.
