It’s no secret that our science department took a significant hit at the end of the 2025 school year with the loss of several science teachers. To fill one of those open slots, the school welcomed 29-year-old Theodore Cup, who now teaches Regents Living Environment and Chemistry on the second floor.
Previously a Biology and Chemistry teacher at Penfield, Mr. Cup has stated that he is willing to teach biology in the future, as he has already had that experience. Along with possible electives such as optics or intro to chemistry. However, that decision is still way in the foreseeable future as he continues to settle into his schedule for the current year.
At the mention of Penfield, to clarify recent rumors, it is worth noting that the thought of Mr. Cup being terminated from his position at Penfield is a false allegation. He taught at the school for a year in a long-term teaching role. When inquired, he responded, “I asked Penfield if they had an opportunity for a probationary position, and they could not apply because they just had too many people that already fit into the chemistry department.” For those who are unfamiliar, a probationary position is a temporary role designed to help individuals transition into a permanent, tenured position. In other words, Mr. Cup wanted to have a stable, ongoing job with benefits and security; however, the Penfield district was already staffed with enough permanent science teachers. As a result, Mr. Cup chose to pursue new opportunities on his own accord, which ultimately led him to his current teaching job at Victor.
Although new to Victor, Mr. Cup is not unfamiliar with the setting or its community. While a former student of West Irondequoit, Cup completed his student observation hours in 2022 under the advisement of Mr. Dahlstrom, a chemistry and forensic teacher at Victor. This allowed him to get acquainted with the routine, culture, and values of Victor years before he joined the faculty. Having this prior connection has made his transition into this new position smoother, as he continues to value Mr. Dahlstrom’s mentorship while refining his own teaching style.
Students in Mr. Cup’s class are likely familiar with his grading and curving system and have differing opinions about it. Yet, they may not realize that he is simply following along with what the chemistry department has decided, as he gets his footing as a newly graduated master’s degree-holding teacher. The curriculum considers an 85 percent to be mastery in the courses, so they feel that giving someone within the range of 85-100 full credit for quizzes is fair to help boost the average of their hardworking students. His approach to align with the department allows him not to worry about these grading systems and to focus more on his classroom and instructional development as he gains experience.
Coming from Penfield, another large school in upstate New York, there are bound to be many similarities but also some notable differences. For Mr. Cup, within the first five weeks of his first year, a big adjustment has been to the timings of Victor’s block schedule. Penfield operates on shorter 40-minute periods rather than 85-minute blocks. Mr Cup finds the scheduling shift to blocks good timing-wise, as it makes labs easier to complete. However, he notices that as the time left in the block dwindles, so does the attention of his students, which can become increasingly challenging to maintain. As the school year progresses, he continues to adjust his routine in order to find the sweet spot between guided and independent learning that keeps kids engaged throughout the entire time.
As a first-year teacher at Victor, when asked about expanding his subject teaching, Mr. Cup commented that he does not want to spread himself too thin before establishing himself in the classroom. This decision understandably led him not to participate in any clubs or electives, although he expresses interest in doing so, perhaps as soon as his second year.
Upon being asked what might surprise his students the most, Mr. Cup replied, “I don’t know if my athletic ability would surprise them.” What many may not know is that Mr. Cup has been a defensive hockey player since the age of three, which would now bring him to his 26th year on the ice. Although he never went pro, he has spent the last ten years coaching hockey at Irondequoit and hopes to someday bring his passion for the sport to Victor.
From the lab to the ice rink, Mr. Cup demonstrates adaptability and drive in connecting not only with the students but also with the teachers here at Victor schools. Despite being new, his enthusiasm for learning and teamwork already shines through. We can not wait to see how he settles in as a teacher at Victor in the coming time.
