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April Teacher Spotlight

How long have you been a teacher? Where have you taught and where do you currently teach? Grade? Content?

I started teaching in 2014 and this is my eighth year as a classroom teacher. I taught 10th grade Geometry at Zachary High School for the first two years of my career. Since moving to Benjamin Franklin in New Orleans, I have taught mostly Geometry to 9th and 10th graders, but have also taught Algebra I, World Geography, and 12th grade AP US Government and Politics.

Why did you choose teaching?

I remember the exact moment I decided to become a teacher. As a high school junior, I was discussing my future college and career options with my mom while waiting at an eye doctor’s appointment. After throwing out a few routes and potential choices that somewhat matched my passions, the idea of teaching came up. As a lifelong theater kid and performer who loved motivating, exciting, and inspiring others, the puzzle pieces fit perfectly. From that moment every major decision I made kept me on the path to be an educator.

What piece of advice would you give to new teachers?

One of the toughest things about being a new teacher is that you don’t get a second chance at a lesson until the following year. Unlike other professions where you might be shown a task on Monday, try it supervised on Tuesday, and then practice it all week, teachers are expected to hit home runs every single day. And as a first year teacher, you are going to be doing most of your lessons for the very first time. This can be a disheartening if, and truthfully when, a lesson goes poorly. I would suggest doing your best to be reflective, figure out what seems to be working and how to replicate it, as well as why did a lesson tank. Take notes, make the tweaks and adjustments right afterward, and that way you will be on much more solid ground for the next year.

What’s a funny or inspiring anecdote you have from teaching?

My degrees are in history and political science and I spent my time in college preparing to teach social studies. After college I started working in mathematics and that’s how I got my first job as a Geometry teacher. That year, the chair of the history department was walking by my classroom, heard me teaching, and told me later that he was confused. While he heard the content of triangles and quadrilaterals, the way they were being taught sounded like a social studies classroom. This stuck with me and I now always try to bring a new or different approach to mathematics that might resonate with students who normally shirk from the world of math.

What are you reading right now?

I’m still trying to finish Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow.

What are your hobbies?

I am a big sports fan and love going to games or watching them on TV. Additionally, I’m a theatre kid at heart so try to see as many live performances as I can. During the pandemic, I also started to get into yoga and have really enjoyed both the physical and mental breaks it gives me during the week.

What’s one word that describes your teaching style or how do you think your students would describe you?

Electric!

Who inspires you?

My coworkers. I regularly rely on them and am constantly amazed at how they are getting better at their crafts. It doesn’t matter the department or content area, I could have a conversation with any fellow teacher and know that I’ll walk away with at least one way that I could be better, one new perspective to think on, or have one new tactic to try in my classroom.

Do you have any recommendations for teachers for whom they should follow on social media? or any websites or other resources you’ve found helpful?

It seems like there are so many different avenues to get resources. Websites, podcasts, social media, newsletters, etc. I think all of these different mediums have teacher communities so the key is to find those. Most of us already have preferred methods of gathering information and so hunting down the educational hubs within them will make learning about teaching feel less like a chore and more like it’s already a well established habit.

And don’t be afraid to seek out some that don’t fit your “niche.” I think following elementary teachers’ instagrams can be very helpful for high school teachers and reading about new strategies for an English classroom can make you think about how you run your Geometry class.

Favorite food?

Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.

Favorite word?

Thanks!

What are your summer plans?

We have some great programs at Franklin that I’ll be working at. One is designed to help new students get acclimated to the school and the other allows students that struggled in some of their core courses to spend time relearning and hopefully remastering the critical material they’ll need to be successful in high school and beyond. After that, I’m hoping to do a little traveling around the country and finally get a chance to see some places I’ve never been.

Tell us about your reaction to receiving the Milken Award. Were you surprised? What are your students’ responses? Colleagues?

I couldn’t have been more surprised. I wasn’t aware that this award even existed let alone that I had been nominated. I remember being distracted during the assembly trying to find additional seating for some students so I actually missed when they originally announced how much the cash prize was. It wasn’t until I saw the check that it began to set in.

What does winning the Milken Award mean to you?

It’s incredibly humbling as well as encouraging. Oftentimes teachers prod on feeling like they are making a difference but there isn’t a lot of external confirmation. Winning this award, and really the fact that this award even exists for educators, helps affirm a lot of the choices and hard work these past few years have required. I also see it as a bit of a challenge to continue to push myself and make sure I’m the best educator that I can be.

Where do you see yourself in five days? Five months? Five years?

Five days: Enjoying the weather after work on a Friday afternoon.

Five months: Getting back from summer break rejuvenated and ready to get my classroom back to, hopefully, a pre-COVID setup.

Five years: Hopefully still working with students and sharing my love for learning.

What do you think teachers need the most right now?

Money. It may sound uncouth but that in and of itself is part of the problem. We shouldn’t be afraid to discuss the financial situation of educators and how dire it can be for many. We need to be more open about how low pay is preventing people from considering becoming a teacher, pushing great educators out of the field, and making the profession unsustainable. We’ve prioritized the importance of education in every way except in its funding.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’m excited to learn more about AfterClass. It is so great to hear that there are local organizations out there dedicated to promoting the education profession and directly supporting teachers in the classroom.