For many years, our school has been blessed and filled to the brim with teachers who truly care about student well-being and teach their classes with diligence. Many teachers have been with us for years, faithfully returning to teach the same subject year after year. However, as needs arise, these dedicated veteran teachers have stepped up to the plate by taking on new roles in the 2021-2022 school year. Former tenth grade Biology teacher, now ninth and eleventh grade Girls Bible teacher Mrs. Lucia Singleton and Mrs. Angela Drury, eleventh grade American Literature expert turned ninth grade LA and Comp teacher, share their thoughts.
Q: What is the biggest difference between your old class and your new class?
Mrs. Drury: Student maturity level is different. 11th graders are very focused because college is within sight, whereas 9th graders seem more focused on social aspects of high school life. Often, we have new students in 9th grade, and they seem most concerned with making new friends. In addition, we have so many clubs, dances, and activities available to high school students that there's a very real excitement about social life for 9th graders.
Q: What is your favorite part about your new class?
Mrs. Drury: I enjoy learning about my students. I think because 9th graders are not driving or working yet, their circle of influence is smaller … For this reason, I think, the kids are more willing to let a teacher into that circle of influence. They share with me about their families, their hobbies, and their lives outside of school, and sometimes, I can tie that information into lessons.
Mrs. Singleton: It’s fun to talk about the bible, I feel like I get more freedom to have conversations about our lives, and that’s more on topic than when I had random conversations in biology about people's lives; it’s fun to hear about. It kind of branches off into other topics and conversations about their lives, and so it's a little more personal.
Q: What do you miss about your old class? Is there something you don’t miss?
Mrs. Drury: “I miss the familiarity with the subject matter. I taught American Literature for 24 years, so I could teach that material with very little preparation … With 9th grade, I've taught most of the material before, but it was years ago. Since that time, there has been an explosion of digital resources, and as a result, I could spend hours planning a lesson....watching video after video. The one aspect I don't miss from American Literature is all the essay grading. I often would spend weekends and school holidays grading, so it's nice to have some of that time back to spend with my family.
Although students and teachers may miss certain aspects of their former classroom dynamics, this new opportunity allows for growth on both sides.
Comments