What do you teach and/or your role? Please include spots and club sponsorships.
I teach Co-teach English 11 [and] I am the throw Coach for the track team.
What is it like being the throw coach for the track team? I enjoy observing students learn and implementing the skills necessary to throw a heavy object at the distance required to compete. I also enjoy seeing their faces when they think they know how to throw, and I have to change their entire form and technique.
What is your daily schedule like as a track coach?
You are busy thinking about each athlete and how you must change to ensure they get the desired results. You are extremely busy during the meets because I am the coach of both girls and boys, and they compete in different events at the same time. As the only throw coach, you run to support your athletes to ensure they are confident, and their form/techniques is what they have been taught.
Where were you previously, and what brought you to Salem?
I worked at Woodside High School in Newport News for 6 years, 1 year at Nandua High School on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and 12 years at Kegotank Elementary School on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
How have your previous teaching experiences helped you progress in your job today?
My previous teaching experience has enabled me to reach various types of students and implement various teaching methods to meet my students’ needs. I have also learned that being strict and raising your voice is not the answer. The answer is to be patient and listen to everything the student is saying, even when they are not actually talking. The most important thing for some students is what they are not saying. Nonverbal cues are just as important as the verbal cues.
What is your favorite thing about Salem so far?
My favorite thing at Salem is the energy and cheerfulness of the faculty, staff, and students. It is a joy to work here.
What does Salem do differently from other schools you have worked at in the past?
What does Salem do differently from other schools you have worked at in the past? There is not much of a difference with teaching, but the programs and student behaviors here at Salem are appreciated. Salem has more to offer than other schools that I have previously taught at.
What inspired you to go into education (or working in a school environment)?
I was inspired to become a teacher by the superintendent of Accomack County, who brought me an application and strongly encouraged me to apply. He brought the application to the job that I was currently working for at the time. I applied and was hired on the spot.
Is there any advice you would give to students interested in education? Like Virginia Teachers For Tomorrow (VTFT) students?
Listen and watch what happens in the classroom, but most importantly, a teacher’s job is never done. We work around the clock, even when we are not in front of a classroom full of students. You learn from every situation that you are presented with, and you teach all the time, even when you do not want to. Sometimes teaching is just listening to someone who has a problem. Take the classes necessary to get your certification, but that does not compare to what happens within the classroom. Teaching is a life of experience with successes and failures.
Please share a fun fact about yourself!
One fun fact about myself is that I have five wonderful and energetic grandchildren.
