Why did you want to become a teacher?
Alicia Sánchez-Koster (Spanish): I actually had never thought about it when I was younger. I wanted to be a pilot. I started tutoring friends’ kids and I saw that I enjoyed being around children. Initially it was not my dream job, but now it is. The kids teach you to [be] on your toes.
Chelsea Rees (Math): I knew ever since I was in kindergarten. My high school math teacher inspired me to teach math.
Patricia Riek (English): I was going into journalism, [but] I realized my personality was better fit for teaching.
Nicholas Carrillo (Photography): The teachers in my life kept me on track when my parents couldn’t. I wanted to be able to give that back to others.
Apolinario Madayag (Special Education): I became a teacher because I wanted my students to succeed in their goals and endeavors.
Robynne Francis (English): It started with the fact that growing up I loved to read and write. I saw [when I was a child] that my peers hated English with a passion, but I thought I could make a few kids like it. Then being a teacher became more about helping students to grow as people.
What’s your favorite part of the subject you teach?
Sánchez-Koster: I like to see how the kids progress. I like to see their growth in language. I like that I get to teach different things like grammar, culture, and song and dance. The subject is so broad. I also love when I see students start to put real sentences together. It is very exciting.
Rees: My favorite part of teaching is when students don’t understand something and I can explain it to them. I also love seeing when a student’s dislike of math turns into a like.
Riek: Watching kids learn in general. I love watching the growth from freshman to senior.
Carrillo: My favorite part about teaching is the ‘aha moment’ kids have. Whether I see kids figure out how to turn on a camera or use a certain lens it’s a great feelings to see kids go, ‘Oh, okay. That’s how it works.’ The students are what make me stay in the job.
Madayag: The reward from students becoming better citizens and taxpayers.
Francis: I thought it would be getting into the books, but it turned out to be getting to know the students.
If you were a pastry, what kind of pastry would you be and why?
Rees: Chocolate croissant. Whenever I go to Starbucks I order one—they are delicious! Plus, they are fewer calories than the regular croissants. You get chocolate and fewer calories.
Riek: I would be a bagel because I don’t really have a sweet tooth.
Carrillo: Doughnut holes. When you buy a whole box of them and there are a bunch of different types, you don’t know what you will like but you try a bunch of them anyway. I like to take risks with curriculum and try things that may not work out.
Madayag: I would be a beignet with coffee ice cream topped with white powdered sugar with a touch of ground up cocoa beans because of the taste.
Francis: Chocolate chip waffle because I love breakfast.
What’s your weirdest teaching moment?
Rees: I went to get a parking permit before school started this year and I was mistaken for a student. The woman said that I would have to wait because only teachers were being given permits.
Riek: We had a fire drill on picture day and because I teach freshmen, none of us knew where to go, so we followed the crowd.
Carrillo: I made a Power Point talking about all the people I do not look like. Because of my red beard, I have been told I look like Chuck Norris, Mitchell from Modern Family, Chris Martin and the head singer from Cake.
Francis: Because I look so young, students ask me things about my personal life that they might not ask an older teacher.
If you were a Disney Princess which one would you be and why?
Sánchez-Koster: I would be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She does not just clean and cook. She has a mind of her own. [Belle] is daring.
Rees: I would be the Little Mermaid because I love to swim and be in the ocean. Living underwater would be so cool. When I was younger my friends and I used to pretend we were mermaids in the pool.
Riek: The only one I can think of is Tinkerbell! She does good deeds and gets to fly around.
Carrillo: Snow White because teaching is nothing without collaboration. The seven dwarfs represent various parts of the school like administration and students.
Madayag: Jasmine because she has a magic carpet and a lamp that grants wishes.
Francis: Sleeping Beauty because she’s my favorite but also because I can fall asleep anywhere. Nothing wakes me up.
