CASEY QUIEL, English Department
Q: What do you teach here at Wakefield High School?
A: I teach English for Freshmen and Sophomores.
Q: What inspired you to teach English?
A: I had a really cool English teacher when I was in high school. I already really loved English, so I just combined the two [influences].
Q: What does your typical workday look like?
A: I come in early and prep for my day. I teach throughout first and second period. Third period is when I usually eat and grade papers. After fourth period, I complete any last minute grading before I head home.
Q: Can you tell me a little about your background?
A: I’m originally from Johnston County; I grew up, went to school and lived there, then attended Appalachian State for four years. Afterward, I did a year with AmeriCorps [a volunteering program] where I worked with inner-city kids in Delaware!
Q: What brought you to Wakefield?
A: I’m from the area, originally. My family’s here. My niece is here. I really wanted to see her grow up, so that’s most of the reason why I came back.
Q: What do you like most about Wakefield so far?
A: I love how supportive all of the other teachers have been. They’ve answered all of my questions. They’ve also been very eager and happy to help me.
Q: Do you have any crazy, fun teacher stories?
A: Oh, I do! One time, I had a student from a middle school I worked at. He threw a pencil in the air. It got caught in the ceiling, and his thought [of how he would get it out] was to pull out his baseball bat and hit the pencil like a piñata. This was during the transition time in the hallway, so that was really fun to deal with!
Q: What is some advice you have for students taking your classes?
A: My advice is to always come to Pride Time, especially if you have missing assignments. Always come to me if you have questions. I can’t read your mind, so if you don’t tell me, I won’t know either.