Written By: Lily Leand

Q: What made you want to pursue a career in teaching?

A: I never did anything else. It was my first job out of college and it’s still my job 20 years after I graduated from college! I love books very much – my favorite thing growing up was reading, and it is still my favorite thing. I taught writing and literature at universities and colleges but it’s a really different experience. It is not as fun nor exciting nor rewarding as reading books with teenagers, so that’s why I wanted to continue teaching high school. 

Q: What drew you to the RCDS community, and what goals do you hope to achieve in your time here?

A: I am coming from a boarding school so I’m really excited to work at a day school where the kids don’t sleep here and I don’t necessarily see them all the time. I was also really impressed when I visited; I thought the other English teachers were just so amazing and I really want to have them as my colleagues because I thought they were so smart and such great teachers and such good people. For a teacher, the best thing is having other teachers around you who inspire you.

Q: In your opinion, what is the key to finding success in high school?

A: I think trying very hard to be your authentic self. 

Q: If you could go back in time and give your high school self any piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Chill out. Everything is going to be fine. You do not need to be as stressed as you are. 

Q: Who is your favorite author and why?

A: That is an impossible question, and I cannot answer it. However, my father lives in Maine and we are reading moby dick. He reads it at home and I read it and then once a week we call each other and we talk about it, and that’s been very fun. So right now, I like Herman Melville a lot. 

Q: Do you have a favorite genre of literature?

A: I think that mystery and detective fiction is overlooked in literature, and sometimes it gets overlooked as a fun or pop-style of literature.

Q: Are there any artists, stories, or people in your life who influence and inspire you?

A: There are a lot, but I think my family does the most. Also, sometimes students and the things that students say can change the way that I think about a book or a poem. It’s really nice that even though I’ve been doing this for a really long time, the way discussions go can change the way that I think about something. That’s such a wonderful experience, to have a kid bring something new to the world.

Q: Why are you passionate about English? What draws you to the subject?A: I think that the most important thing that we do as human beings is telling stories. We Cant live without them; we could not live a story-less existence. It is fun for us but it is also important as human beings that we continue to tell each other stories and to listen to stories. It is how we learn and how we grow.