What was your job before teaching?
Before teaching, I was in college and mostly worked part-time. I [mainly] worked at Orange Theory.
What originally sparked your interest in teaching?
A few things, but mainly, I had a few really good teachers in high school. All of them were different from one another. I saw different parts of what each of them did that I really liked, and I just had a knack for history and for the classroom environment — I got a lot of fulfillment from being in class. So those things all combined and inspired me to take [teaching] as my future.
What college did you attend?
I went to NC State, I did my undergrad and my graduate there.
If you could compare the subject you teach to a food, what would it be?
I would say sushi because [it depends] on where you get it from. It’s either going to be really good, and you’re going to feel really good after you eat it, [whereas] if you get it from somewhere like a gas station, it’s going to be really bad.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
I really like moments where everyone is involved and engaged and we’re just talking. [The conversation] doesn’t even have to be [about something] super academic, it’s just those moments … where everyone gets to exchange lifestyle, experience and ideas. Where you actually get to [know] a student beyond just sitting at a desk.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
As a first-year teacher, not much. The main thing that I like to do on the weekends is to work out and I really like to cook.
What is your favorite memory?
When I did my student teaching in my master’s program at Athens Drive, one of my students disappeared for a while, and I didn’t know where he went. I was freaking out. By the time I noticed, it had been 30 minutes since he was gone. He comes back, maybe 10 minutes later, and he’s breathing hard — he’s got a bit of a sweat going. He walks in with my mentor teacher, who’s also sweating and has his shirt untucked. Apparently, my mentor teacher, who’s in his 40s [and]not the tallest guy, gave it to this kid [in pickup basketball], who was a high school athlete. That’s one of my favorite memories because that’s the life of a school teacher — the randomness.
What was your job before teaching?
I did many jobs before teaching, but mainly I was a waitress at Pizza Hut; it was my big teenage job that I did.
What originally sparked your interest in teaching?
I did not want to be a teacher at all. My mom was a teacher, and my aunt was a teacher; I thought, ‘No, I’m not doing it.’ Then I started learning more about special education programs and students with various needs, and I became really interested in that. That’s how I got into teaching.
Do you currently teach the subject you intended to teach?
I was originally thinking I would be an English teacher. I tried that for a little while, and thought ‘Absolutely not.’
What college did you attend?
I attended Georgia College State University.
If you could compare the subject you teach to a food, what would it be?
I would have to say the Sour Patch Kids. They’re sweet, but they’re also sour. It’s a job where [I have to be] very flexible because it changes constantly. [I] think [I’m] in for something one day, and then it totally changes the next.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
Honestly, just being around the students, communicating with the students and learning from them. I don’t think I could ever be in a position where I would be away from the students; being with them is the best part for me.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
I love to travel, read, go to concerts, try new restaurants, new foods and of course just relaxing at home watching Netflix.
What is your favorite memory from teaching at Wakefield?
This is my first year at Wakefield, but I really like all the support provided [to the teachers] and everybody has been so nice. I have just been really impressed with the team [of teachers] as a whole so far.
What was your job before teaching?
I’ve been teaching for 17 years, but before that, believe it or not, I worked in flooring, specifically carpet and hardwood.
What originally sparked your interest in teaching?
I’ve always wanted to be a teacher since I was little, and I come from a long line of them in my family. My mom was a teacher, as was my grandmother, so I just knew that was what I wanted to become.
Do you currently teach the subject you intended to teach?
No, about 9 years ago I started teaching in sociology education and I absolutely loved it. But when there was an opportunity at Wakefield High School, and a good friend of mine, Coach Wilson, said ‘come on over,’ I decided to come and start teaching in the ECS room.
What college did you attend?
I went to Colorado State University for my undergraduate, and then I went to the University of Sevilla and the University of Costa Rica Furitas. Then I got my master’s degree at NC State and NC A&T, so I have two master’s degrees.
If you could compare the subject you teach to a food, what would it be?
Lasagna, because there are a lot of layers to it, and there is a lot of meat, cheese, noodles and all sorts of different things, and you have to make sure that you layer it just right for it to be good.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
The kids. Always. I love my students and I’ve loved my past students, and particularly at Wakefield High School I’ve loved my coworkers. They’re all awesome.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
I am training for a marathon at Disney World, so right now I’m running a lot. I have two children, one is about to be 20 years old. She’s 19, a sophomore at UNC Charlotte. Then I have a 16-year-old who is a sophomore at Franklin Academy. So I just love hanging out with my kids, my dog and my husband. I also love to read.
What is your favorite memory from teaching at Wakefield?
I would say on the first day of school, when the kids came in and we got to know each other. They were so quiet on that first day, but now they are always wide open. I love it.
What was your job before teaching?
My job before teaching was a student; I came straight out of college.
What originally sparked your interest in teaching?
I was a business major originally, for about a year and a half of college, and after my first year, I went to work at a Christian summer camp. I just realized, I want to be working with kids. So after another semester of thinking about it, I decided to switch over to education.
Do you currently teach the subject you intended to teach?
No, I am a social studies teacher by trade, but budget cuts have displaced me a little bit, so I’m in Special Education right now.
What college did you attend?
I did one year at Davenport University, where I studied business, and then switched over to Liberty University for three and a half years.
If you could compare the subject that you teach to a food, what would it be?
A potato because they are so versatile. They could go any which way.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
Building relationships with the students. Just to know them on more than just an academic level, and seeing where they end up.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
I love sports. I watch a lot of football. I played football and basketball in high school. I do a lot with my church, so we have a lot of Bible studies, and we serve wherever is needed.
What is your favorite memory of teaching?
When I was teaching World History, we had two different projects for our exam. One of them was you had to make a parody of a song, but change the lyrics to a certain topic we learned that year. And it was just very entertaining to hear all my students singing, because they weren’t good. The lyrics were good, and they met the criteria, but it’s a good thing they weren’t in theater.
What was your job before teaching?
Before teaching, I was a veterinary assistant in urgent care, then I also worked in a small ruminant animal production while I was in undergrad at NC State. So that [includes caring for] sheep, goats, [etc.]
What originally sparked your interest in teaching?
I’ve always loved teaching, but my school, [when I was] growing up, did not have an animal science program. I thought the only way to be able to teach [Animal Science] would be to go through undergrad, apply to vet school, become a veterinarian and then teach at a veterinary school level. However, while I was working through undergrad, I was talking with one of my professors, and he [told me about] high school animal science classes. So that’s what sparked me on the path to start here. I also taught in different veterinary science summer camps that were for kids who were really interested in animal science and veterinary medicine. I was also a figure skating coach for five or six years prior to this, so that’s really where I started my love for teaching.
Do you currently teach the subject you intended to teach?
Yes and no. I intended to teach Animal Science, and next semester I’ll also be teaching veterinarian assisting. They’re all in the same pathway of courses. My interests directly in what I like to teach [are] more lined up with veterinary assisting.
What college did you attend?
I went to NC State [and] Wake Tech.
If you could compare the subject you teach to a food, what would it be?
That’s kind of hard, because we learn a lot about food in this class. I feel like the quick answer would be beef, but maybe it’s more of a full meal. Beef with eggs on [the side] and some vegetables on the side. [The subject is like] different agricultural areas.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
I like building connections with students, and I like being able to educate them on how to communicate with people. A lot of people are interested in animal science because they don’t like talking to people. They prefer talking to animals who can’t necessarily talk back or [ask you] to explain things. Because of that, especially when we dive into the veterinary care side of things, you have to learn how to become an advocate for something that cannot talk to us. Teaching kids to build those communication skills really early on [is important].
What are your hobbies outside of school?
Well, I mentioned I coached figure skating, so that was a big one. I competed through undergrad while I was at NC State. And I spend a lot of time with my family. I have a dog [and we] go on a lot of walks.
What is your favorite memory for teaching here so far?
I think my favorite memory for teaching so far was [from] outside the classroom but [still] a school-related experience. As an agriculture teacher, I’m also an FFA advisor, and this past weekend we had our first team compete in a career development event. They competed in [the] veterinary science event. They only had two weeks to prep, while most schools started in July. […] They placed ninth out of 69 schools, which I’m so proud of them for doing. [It is] so impressive considering they only got to study for two weeks and they really put in the hard work. I’m just really proud of them. I think that’s my favorite memory so far.
What was your job before teaching?
I actually went to Wake Tech to earn a degree in mental health and gerontology. I thought I was going to be working with older adults, but then I was offered a position to work in Wake County schools. I started out as a braillist at Durant [Road] Middle School, but I wanted to work more in the classroom. I started [working with] a student over at Wakefield Middle [School]. I then transitioned up here to the high school to work with him.
What originally sparked your interest in teaching?
Just being able to make a difference in students’ lives and helping them succeed academically and in their life journey.
Do you currently teach the subject you intended to teach?
I’m very surprised that I ended up as a one-on-one instructional assistant. I had no idea what kind of position I would end up in, but I love it. I love seeing [my student’s] growth and that excitement [when he learns] how to add without a calculator, [and] when he can write his name and address by memory after a lot of practice.
What college did you attend?
I went to North Wake Tech.
If you could compare the subject you teach to a food, what would it be?
Probably a seafood stew. I say that because there’s such a variety of things that happen throughout the day. In a seafood stew, there might be shrimps, clams, scallops, [or] mussels. Every day’s a different day. It keeps me on my toes.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
I would say my connection with my student that I’ve developed throughout the years (I’ve been with him for three years). Just seeing his happiness and knowing that he trusts me, he feels safe [and] that I give him positive encouragement throughout the whole day.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
I love to do ancestry on the computer and piece together my ancestors. I also enjoy scrapbooking, cross-stitch and I take piano lessons.
What is your favorite memory from teaching at Wakefield?
One of my favorite memories was last year at Wakefield Middle School, seeing my student walk across the stage to earn his certificate. [I love seeing] his happiness, joy and the excitement in his eyes when he’s learning. [When] he laughs and smiles, it just warms my heart.
What was your job before teaching you?
Before I was a teacher, I was an intramural sports coordinator at a military base. I taught five through eight-year-olds cheer and basketball, and then I also helped run the Marine football, soccer and baseball brackets for adults. It was very different from teaching, but it was fun.
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I’ve wanted to be a teacher my whole life. In middle school I [joined] an environmental club and became super close with that teacher. I just knew I wanted to be [like] her.
Do you currently teach the subject you intended to?
Because of [the environmental club], I was convinced I wanted to teach science until I started doing Animal Science in high school. Then I knew [that] I wanted to teach [Animal] Science specifically.
What college did you attend?
I went to NC State. I loved it, and that’s why I picked this area when I came back [to teach]. The marine base I worked at was on the coast, but I moved back to [Raleigh] because I knew I liked the area after [attending] NC State.
If you could compare the subject that you teach to a food, what would it be?
I feel like there’s so many funny answers because I teach agriculture science, but we’re definitely corn. If you think about it, corn is in everything; it’s everywhere. Since I teach Animal Science and Horticulture, [kids] come in thinking we’re going to be talking about puppies and flowers, which we do, but what we really talk about is the production of [plants and animals]. You probably don’t think you eat corn every day, but it is in so many products. Corn definitely represents our class.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
My favorite part about teaching is the students. We have the best time. [The students] always make jokes that catch me off guard and make all of us laugh. It’s times like those that make me realize that we are all having fun.
Do you have any hobbies outside of school?
Yes, I love weightlifting and rock climbing. I love big, heavy things. Then I studied soil as a minor in college. I also have a creative writing minor. I just want to do all the little things.
Do you have a favorite memory from teaching at Wakefield?
Last week, we did public speaking, and I had to force all my shy students to get up there and speak [in front of the class] and they were mortified. But when they did it, I was jumping in the back of the class because I was so stoked.
What was your job before teaching?
I was a mom.
What originally sparked your interest in teaching?
I was a big reader when I was in elementary school, and when I was in 4th or 5th grade, I thought that since I loved reading so much, I had a kind of empathy for kids who were struggling with reading.
What college did you attend?
The University of Virginia
What is your favorite part of teaching?
I like working with students, getting to know them, being able to help them and I also like the other teachers. I think teacher personalities mix with mine. We’re all sort of helper-type people.
What are your hobbies outside of school?
I like to read, do craft projects and do projects around the house like painting walls.
What is your favorite memory from teaching at Wakefield?
Seeing some of the students that I worked with previously and seeing them as they’re older. Some of them are getting ready to graduate
