Every new school year, there are always changes. This year, for example, the bell schedule was redesigned, allowing students to be released 20 minutes earlier on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. This kind of school year change is rare, but new teachers isn’t. However, every teacher is unique and has a unique story as to how he or she became an educator and became a Wolf. At Timber Creek, the Wolf Pack welcomed several new teachers, one of them being Ms. Nicole Larson. As an Economics teacher, all of her students are seniors. She has been teaching for about 14 years and has valuable insight into what it’s like being an educator, why she became a teacher and what it’s like being on the other side of high school.
Something that many students wonder is why their teachers became teachers. A lot of people want to become doctors, lawyers, pilots and so much more. However, everyone needs there to be teachers in order to continue educating the future generations. Larson always knew that she wanted to help people. She found her calling when she was very young…in the fifth grade. Her teacher had cancer, but that never let her falter or get in the way of being who her students needed her to be on a daily basis. “She was at school everyday, no matter what. We would have little parties to celebrate her chemo or her radiation. She ended up passing away many years later when I was in high school, but she made such a profound impact on my life that I felt that I could do that and make a difference.” Larson’s passion for teaching started very early, and some teachers lose their fire after teaching for so many years. After 14 years of doing so, however, she still has the same enthusiasm to wake up every morning and help hundreds of students through the end of their high school career. As to why she chose to teach Economics, she said, “It’s something you use everyday. We learn about how you can be successful with the money you make, because money makes the world go round.” She definitely thinks that other subjects are very important, but the economy is always in motion and it’s important that the people in it are knowledgeable about how to navigate it.
In regard to her transition to Timber Creek, Larson said that the experience has been positive so far. Her favorite thing about the Wolf Pack is the Wolves. She said, “I have great students. That’s, of course, the reason I come everyday.” After having taught at Wekiva High School for five years, Larson moved to the elementary school realm when her oldest son started Pre-K. She thought that it was a good opportunity to venture out of what she was used to and be able to bring him to school with her. The experience, though, wasn’t the same for her. “The impact that you can give an older student to talk about the experiences that you have would be more positive for them and for me,” she said. Therefore, continuing her career at Timber Creek seemed like the perfect fit. Plus, she’s able to bring her youngest son with her, so it’s the best of both worlds. If there’s something Larson would like to see at the school is for communication lines between teachers and faculty to be more open. “I really haven’t met many people, other than my neighbor who teaches next door. We don’t meet often enough for me to know them. Sometimes I find myself having lots of questions about the expectations of me and the students, and I don’t have answers to those questions,” she said. Larson added that having faculty meetings or social gatherings would be beneficial in order to have opportunities for everyone to meet and talk about important school-related things. She did note, however, that there have been meetings or gatherings after school, but they haven’t been kid-friendly, and she’s with her kids at that time. Other than that, her move to Timber Creek has been great and teaching seniors has been fun.
Changes are never really a surprise. At any school, changes constitute teachers leaving, teachers coming in or new classes being added to the curriculum. The teachers at Timber Creek, however, are exclusive to the Wolf Pack and each has a story to share with his or her students. Ms. Nicole Larson, for example, has had a passion for helping others since she was a little girl. That’s why she chose to be a teacher. She wanted to make a difference in her students’ lives and she has done an amazing job doing so.
