Nancy Pearson

What is your name? Where do you teach? Nancy Pearson, at Salmen High School.

What subject(s) do you teach? My present schedule is English I Gifted, English II Gifted, English III Honors, English IV Gifted and College English 1010.

What is your favorite thing about the subject(s) you teach? Leading students to discovering connections between literature and the outside world.

How long have you been a teacher? Eight years.

How has the profession of teaching changed since you started? We now have more teacher accountability and more of a structure for teachers to follow.

Why did you become a teacher? When I look back to when I made the decision, it is difficult to say why I decided to become a teacher. What’s easier for me is to understand is why I remain a teacher. I believe it’s because I see the value in teaching life lessons in addition to academic ones.

What is your favorite thing about teaching? Knowing that I am able to make a positive difference in someone else’s life.

Do you do anything special in the classroom to get through to your students? Each new group of students brings different challenges. I try to understand the needs of each group and then I make it my objective to meet those needs. This often becomes a personal challenge, because I’m constantly revising old ideas or bringing in new ones.

What is the hardest part of your job? Getting students to believe in their own abilities.

Are you involved in any extra curricular activities at the school? I am National Honor Society Sponsor and the PTSA Cultural Arts Chairperson.

Do you utilize any special technology in the classroom? Windows Moviemaker, video camera, digital camera and podcasts. I recently completed an 18-minute movie on plagiarism to air school-wide during homeroom. To do this, I spliced several Internet videos and learned how to convert different file types so that they were compatible with my computer. I often connect my laptop to a projector and to the Internet so I can utilize online information as a teaching resource.

Have you received any grants to aid you in the classroom? I’ve received three grants over the past five years, totaling $2,000. I’ve submitted two in the past two months but haven’t heard on them as of yet.

What do you do during your summer vacations? This past summer I completed nine graduate hours of English through the University of New Orleans in order to teach the college English course at Salmen. I’m presently working toward a +30 certification (30 college hours beyond a Masters.) I attended preliminary meetings for National Board Certification candidates. I also participated in a community service project for children with weight problems, the Fit as a Firefighter Camp, representing Junior Auxiliary of Slidell. My team built a puppet theater, wrote a script, and delivered a 25-minute puppet performance to the camp attendees.

Do you aspire to become a principal one day? No. I think that most teachers come to an early realization about their place in the educational community, and I know that my place is in the classroom.

What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened while you were teaching? I had a student ride his bicycle into my classroom once, and expected to leave it parked there all day to keep it out of the rain.