Though you probably just overlook your teachers or see them as people who are only in your lives to teach you things that you may not want to learn, they all have very interesting lives of their own. Just because you only see them for an hour or so each day, doesn’t mean that their entire lives consist of only those few minutes you spend with them. Each one goes home every day and lives a completely unique life of their own. This month we have four different teachers here to tell you a few different things about themselves to help get to know them better.

Ms. Kendra Spens | 9th grade FLE

What do you enjoy about teaching?

“Students don’t care if my make-up is from a Jeffree Star pallet or from the dollar store,” Spens stated.  “Students don’t care if my roots are touched up or if I have two months’ growth with some gray. Students care about how I treat them, how I love them and what I teach them, you know the important stuff. There is no other job on the planet that allows one adult to equip over 100 young minds with the only weapon that can change the world…knowledge.” 

What is your favorite song/ artist? Why?

“Well, my favorite song is not from my favorite artist,” Spens shared “My favorite song is ‘Amazing Grace’. It was my grandma and grandpa’s favorite song and my dad would sing it when he was shaving in the morning. He wasn’t home often so it was comforting.” Spens said.

“My favorite band is ‪Fleetwood Mac‬,” Spens described. “I grew up listening to them. My dad and his best friend (my uncle) took me to see them at Compton Terrace. It was my first concert ever and it was amazing. I could almost touch ‪Stevie Nicks‬. Oh, the late 80s were the best!”

Ms Emma Franco | FLE 2 and AS Literature

What is your favorite thing about teaching? 

“I love getting to know my students and building relationships with them that will make them more successful,” Franco said. 

What is your favorite song/ artist? Why? 

“I love anything by the ‪Counting Crows‬!” Franco said. “They’re a band I’ve grown up listening to and there are a lot of songs by them that have good memories attached to them.”

Mrs. Belle Turner | High School Mathematics

What is your favorite thing about teaching? 

“My favorite thing about teaching is getting to know the kids better, and building positive relationships with them,” Turner described. “Everyone has their own personal strengths, and it is really awesome to get to know students’ individual personalities. Another great part about teaching is that every day is different, it never gets boring!”

What is your favorite holiday? Why?

“My favorite holiday is definitely Christmas,” Turner said. “My dad usually worked on Christmas day, so we would celebrate on Christmas Eve once he got home from work. I remember staying up late to wait for him, and then opening all of our presents as a family. Then, on Christmas morning, my grandparents would come over and we would have breakfast together. We did this every  year and it created a lot of happy memories.”

Ms. River Hardy | Middle School and High School English

What is your favorite thing about teaching?

“My favorite thing about teaching English Language Arts is being able to teach things like tolerance, self-love, and empathy through literature and writing assignments,” Hardy said. “I also love being able to connect with kids, share laughs, and tell stories.” 

What is your favorite movie? Why?

“My favorite movie is ‘Dirty Dancing’ because I love dance and a good love story,” Hardy said. 

What is your favorite holiday? And what is your favorite memory from that holiday?

“Halloween is my favorite holiday because it’s ‘exciting, strange, and ancient’ as said in the movie ‘Hocus Pocus’,” Hardy said. “My favorite memories of Halloween revolve around me and my brothers dressing up and going out together in the neighborhood we grew up in.”