Taking a Closer Look at our Amazing Cougar Staff. Thank You, Senior Teachers
As our Crockett Seniors say their final goodbyes to high school, we thank the teachers who helped them along the way. We interviewed two of our favorite Senior teachers to see how they are coping with the abrupt ending to the 2020 school year and learn more about why they became teachers.
Mr. Kepner, World History and Ethnic Studies
I hope that as a teacher, I’m able to be part of a team of nurturing and challenging adults who support their students’ growth.
How long have you worked at Crockett, and what is your favorite thing about it?
This was my third year here. What I love (and miss!) about Crockett are the students and the school culture. Everyone’s experience is their own, of course, but my perception is that at a lot of high schools, there’s pressure to conform to be a certain way, and at our school, you’re really free to be who you are.
What does a typical day look like for you? (This can be both a pre-COVID/during COVID)
Post-COVID has been really strange. Zoom and BLEND assignments aren’t an adequate replacement for the social environment of a classroom. There have been many board games at my house, and our dogs are getting a record number of walks. I’m only 80,000 bells away from adding a fifth room to my house in ACNH.
What makes it worth it?
What makes teaching worth it? Young people are dynamic, full of energy and curiosity. My students make me feel optimistic about the future. I find comfort knowing that things will be back to normal (and hopefully better than before) at some point.
Why do you like your job?
It’s completely unpredictable! No two school days are exactly the same.
What made you want to work with students?
If you think about someone you aspire to emulate — whether it’s an artist, entrepreneur, athlete, political leader, or someone you know — they never achieve great success entirely on their own. It really takes a village to help young people make their own happiness and success in the world.
Have you always wanted to work at a high school?
No, I started teaching 6th grade, which was fun, but I think teaching 10th grade is my favorite.
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I graduated from Spanaway Lake High School, which is about an hour south of Seattle and about an hour northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. I had excellent teachers in high school who made me want to pursue a career in education. I got a history degree from Washington State University, and a master’s in teaching from Western Washington University. I moved to Austin in 2009.
What do you hope your students take away from their high school experience?
A love of learning and an everlasting desire for personal growth. Even when you get your diploma and you are done with your K-12 schooling, your education will last your entire life. So never stop learning.
Mr. Ledoux, Math
The most important thing a student should take away from school is the drive to develop and pursue their passion.
How long have you worked at Crockett, and what is your favorite thing about it?
I just finished my 3rd full year at Crockett (though I’ve been here four years total). As cliché as it sounds, my favorite part of Crockett is the people. My students are amazing young adults. My colleagues are passionate and driven.
What does a typical day look like for you? (This can be both a pre-COVID/during COVID)
One of the reasons I enjoy teaching so much is that there really isn’t a normal day. Of course, I have a routine: I know which courses I’m teaching and what I will need to teach that day. What I can’t predict is how students will respond to the material. I also don’t know what questions or reactions they are going to have. This makes each day unique. That being said, a teacher’s life does have a routine. When I’m not teaching classes, I’m usually in meetings with other teachers planning our lessons and getting the material ready to teach. This could be programming a BLEND lesson or making photocopies.
What makes it worth it?
Not sure. It’s similar to all of the other stuff I’ve said here: the challenging nature of the job, its ever-changing days, the student interactions, my colleagues, etc.
Why do you like your job?
I get bored when life is too repetitive. I used to work in an office, and I really would get bored in each role I had after about a year or two. I would feel like I had “mastered” the work. That’s not true in teaching. Every time I teach (even when it’s a lesson I’ve taught before) has to be adjusted to mesh with my current students. This both keeps me engaged in the content and forced me to constantly consider what to do and why.
What made you want to work with students?
I enjoy watching them grow and learn.
Have you always wanted to work at a high school?
Not at all. In fact, when I finished my first undergraduate degree, I specifically did NOT want to teach. I went and worked at a bank for several years. I then taught ESL to adults in Japan for several years. I then worked as an archaeologist. Immediately before Crockett, I worked in the private education sector as an Operations Manager.
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I went to Berry College in Rome, GA, where I double-majored in French and Spanish. About a decade later, I went to Texas State, where I got a degree in Anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology.
What do you hope your students take away from their high school experience?
There is so much that my students should take away from high school (of course, an education). While I would love for all of my students to become math geeks, I know that’s not likely. However, if they see that I am passionate about this subject, I hope to inspire them to also find something they are passionate about that and pursue it with all their might.
