Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: This is my fifth year teaching business specifically.

Q: And what classes will you teach this year?

A: This year I have entrepreneurship, social media marketing, management, marketing I, […] and then next term I have a Microsoft office course.

Q: Have you taught any other subjects in the past?

A: I have, so I started off as a preschool teacher. I taught preschool for six years, so all different levels. […] And then when I started teaching, I started teaching intro to business, Microsoft office, and marketing, but I’ve also taught subjects like advanced mathematical decision making, I’ve taught financial planning, I started and developed a fashion and retail marketing course that I taught at Chelmsford for two years, and that was a big hit, and I tried teaching business law; wouldn’t want to do that again.

Q: Is there anything specific you’re excited for this year at Westford Academy?

A: […] I don’t know specifically, just getting to know the way that the school works, all the different people and classes, I have a great department, as you’ve seen, who have been very helpful, but just getting to know the culture of this school.

Q: I know you’ve only been here for a little bit, but what do you think of Westford Academy so far?

A: I think it’s very nice. I loved the school I was at before. I taught at Chelmsford and graduated from there, so leaving there was hard, but just the caliber of the students is […] better if I can say that. Everyone’s a little bit more engaged with the topics, I see a lot more class participation, the school is kept in way better repair, like I have enough desks for all the kids, and nothing’s broken or sticky which is great. Everyone’s been so helpful and welcoming. I had the hardest time finding the microwave, so I ate cold lunches for the first week. But beyond that everyone’s been really helpful, and it’s been a good experience so far.

Q: What have been your experiences teaching at other schools?

A: […] I taught at Algonquin regional in Northborough, and that reminded me a lot of this school. Parents put a high regard on business education, the kids were excited to learn, I was teaching subjects that I enjoyed. Chelmsford, I loved Chelmsford, it’s where I came from, so it was almost easier for me to blend in with the culture there because I was aware of it, but business wasn’t a priority at that school. It wasn’t a requirement, kids were encouraged to take other things over the classes, so I had a hard time getting kids to enroll, that’s why I came out with fashion, but then that’s yet again why I’m not there anymore, because we didn’t have enough kids interested in any programs. Bottom person on the totem pole… that was me.

Q: Has anyone specific helped you get accustomed to the school?

A: I think John Rogers has been in here everyday at least five times a day… every day. […] And he’s really helped me with all of those little questions, like how do I get the morning announcements to turn on? I didn’t know it turned on automatically. He set up my projector for me. Anytime I told him like I wasn’t sure what to do in any class, he’s brought literally binders of materials over. So he’s gone above and beyond any expectation that I had for somebody helping me get started.

Q: What do you think is the most difficult part about being a high school teacher?

A: The most difficult part… […] that’s a good question […]. I think it’s a cross between organizing what you think the students should know versus what the curriculum says they should know, so I try to pull out topics that I think will help you guys in the real world depending on my experiences. I mean I also teach five different subjects, I’m not an expert in any one of them, so trying to make it sound like I know all of the topics in all of everything can be difficult. You guys write a lot, so reading all of it and grading all of it is kind of hard. But I think that being able to interact with high schoolers is kind of the most fun part about this job, it’s engaging because you learn just as much from each other as you do from me which I think makes this job easier than other grades. […]

Q: What drove you to become a teacher?

A: It was probably the great business teachers that I had. I didn’t get involved in taking business classes until I was a sophomore in high school. […] And I just found it to be really interesting. I joined DECA when I was a senior which I regret- I should have done it as a freshman -I competed in a written category, I wrote a business plan, and I went to nationals with it, which to me was something fantastic. I’m not particularly athletic, I wasn’t particularly a straight A student, so for me that was somewhere where I was like ‘wow, I excelled at something, I did something, like that’s so cool’. Like I got a trophy, I didn’t have any trophies, that was a cool one. And then just from that feeling that that gave me, there are so many students that might not like sports or academics, but there’s a category or something that probably interests them in DECA. […] And that’s what sparked it for me, so that’s why I wanted to do it. And I thought teaching fashion would be the coolest job ever.

Q: Do you have any hobbies, or is there anything that you’re passionate about outside of school?

A: I’m a bit of a busy person. So, I still choose to work part time at daycare, the same one that I had been working at, just because I enjoy the difference between working with high schoolers, but I do get sick of you guys after a while. […] And then I go to the daycare and I get the new kindergartners off the bus, and they just want to, like, play marbles, and color, and give me a hug, and read books, which is great … until one of them like poops themselves, and then I’m like ‘okay, send me back to the older kids again’. […] I’m a part time general fitness manager for a gym in Bedford, next to the daycare. […] And I love cats, I have two, Charlie and Anthony […] I love cats.