By Isabelle Lounsberry
Mrs. Cooke— Weaver, previous assistant principal and current Business teacher here at Apopka has returned to the classroom this year. She grew up in Florida, but not in Apopka. However, her love for the school shows through the work she has done and the connections she has built. She is also very affectionate towards her family, as seen by the high praise she gives them. She expresses her devotion to her faith with much enthusiasm as well. With three kids, her faith, and her work to balance, she explained why she left her previous position.
Why did you go back to teaching this year?
The priority got out of whack. My faith is first, my family is next, and then work, but work [got attention] a little bit more so. I may come back to that later.
What subject do you teach?
Business. My degree is actually in business, but what we’re teaching this year [is] digital information, technology, which the focus is the Microsoft package–the Word XL PowerPoint. This class here is digital design, and we’re going through the Adobe stuff: Fireworks, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop.
What are your interests in the school?
My own children and what all the rest of the kids are doing. I want to know the kids-I like to know them—I like to know what they’re doing, where they’re going.
Outside of school?
My family. Church and family. All three of my kids play sports, so we do a lot of that. And I’ve got twenty nieces and nephews.
Did you go here for high school?
No, I’m actually from … Fort Meyers. And [I] went to Fort Meyers High School way back. Way back.
What do you think makes Apopka High different than other schools?
The community. It’s a real community school, that’s why I ask [where you’re from]. I always like to know where you came from because my kids all went to Wolf Lake Elementary and Wolf Lake Middle, and a lot of their friends are in Apopka Middle. That’s the thing about Apopka because I’ve taught at Dr. Philips and Valencia and Olympia— and Apopka is a true community school, meaning that these kids grew up in this community. They play sports together, they’ve done girl scouts together, they’ve done everything together, and they all end up in the same high school. And a lot of the folks that live in Apopka—are you from Apopka? Sort of. Well, a lot of the kid’s parents grew up here, so there’s a lot of history here. The only place I’d become an administrator is Apopka for that very reason.
Are you planning on staying in Apopka for the rest of your career?
I don’t know if I’ll be here for the rest of my career because I’m not sure what that is. But I was here for my oldest daughters four years [at Apopka] and the middle one, and I’d like to at least be here for Zachary, my son. He’s your age [15]. He’s a sophomore.
Do you have a passion for teaching?
I don’t know if it’s teaching, but it’s a passion for kids, and helping [them] develop. Teaching comes along with that.