What influenced you into wanting to become a teacher? My high school English teacher and European history teacher, as well as my Shakespearean teacher in college, they all had a passion for their subjects and that passion inspired me to want to teach the next generation.
Describe the class you teach. [I teach] two classes, 9th grade English and 10th grade honors English. The classes read some of my favorite pieces of literature, like Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. I always loved Shakespeare, ever since I was in high school. Shakespeare catches human nature very well; [he captures] how we see ourselves in what we read.
How did you end up working at Boone? I worked at Wekiva for seven years and I was looking for a change to challenge myself as a teacher, but also needed to be closer to home since I had a newborn last school year. I thought it would be easier to be closer.
What does an average morning look like for you during the school week? I love sleep so I try to sleep in as much as I possibly can. When I finally do wake up, I have to feed all of my pets, which are three cats and one dog. I’m typically eating while giving my daughter a bottle. Her name is Zelda, she’ll be 10 months old soon. Then my mother-in-law comes over and stays with baby while I go to work. I always have a cup of tea in the morning. I usually drink my tea while setting up for the day and going through emails.
What does your typical weekend consist of? I take my dog on long walks, during the week they are never long, and I try to do something fun and new with my daughter to give her new experiences since she’s now nine months old. I also make a meal plan and grocery shop.
Describe your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. [My strengths are] my knowledge of the subject; I’m confident in what I’m teaching. Also, I like to read and reread.[My weaknesses are] procrastination, especially on grading.
What are your top five essentials you need to bring with you every day to work? My laptop, tea, watch, energy, and my to-do lists, which I have three of. My three to-do lists consist of things I need to grade, what I need to accomplish today, and one for what I need to accomplish in the near future. I look at them throughout the day to see what I need to do.
Why do you choose to work with high school students? I wanted to teach texts that were meaningful and connect with students that were on the break of their future. High school was a critical moment for me in my life, and I wanted to be there for students to help them go through what I went through at that age.
Tell me about your high school experience. I graduated from Timber Creek in 2004. I was on the swim and water polo teams every year plus I did one year of weightlifting. I was in BETA club. I had a lot of fun in high school, I am still friends with people I graduated with and swam with. I was shy and quiet, which I don’t think people would believe that about me now. I was also pretty nerdy, but I think people can still tell that about me today.
How do you feel about the online learning? I like it, I love working with Google Classroom, I think it makes it easier. There’s a lot to get used to, but I’m looking forward to some of the changes. When the internet is slow it takes a long time to grade, but other than that I love it.
Advice to freshmen: “Get involved in something. That’s what makes your high school experience worthwhile. Also, keep your grades up; it’s harder to make up your work in the future than it is to put in the effort now.