Meet the latest additions to our very own English 10 staff! Learn more about their personalities and lives since joining the Tiger family. The Prowl presents: Ms. Hannah Ange, Ms. Riz Magalong and Ms. Torri Hart. This interview took place before hybrid learning began.
Q: How have you enjoyed Independence so far?
Hart: Everyone is really collaborative and there is more communication than what I have had in past schools. Also, I am excited to be teaching high school… The age group of high schoolers allows you to have more in-depth conversations than middle school. So all around, I loved the community and positive energy that it seems to have and the kids seem to love being here too which makes it even better.
Ange: I think I have a similar answer to Mrs. Hart because Independence has such a positive community and I’ve never experienced it before. It is my first year, but when I was a student teaching, the school had such a negative environment. No one wanted to be there. Everyone had a negative view of their admin. It was such a depressing feeling coming in every day. I really wanted to find a school that had a positive atmosphere, and I feel like Independence is so perfect for that because everyone is so happy to be here.
Magalong: I agree 100% with everything that was said. Even when I was interviewing for Independence, I had already heard that Independence was such a great place to work. A lot of the teachers both at Independence and outside of Independence spoke very highly of the school. So going into it, I thought this was already a great place to be. Obviously, we haven’t had the chance to talk or interact with teachers from the other departments, but I love the English department. They are some of the best people that I’ve ever worked with, and the admin is great. They are super supportive and reach out to make themselves known among the kids, which I think is very important for a school. At a previous school that I worked at a lot of the kids, unfortunately, didn’t know who their principal was and that was pretty problematic. So I love how there is transparency all around. I didn’t know what INDYOE (Indy Over Everything) was and when I found out, I thought “Wow, this is a super tight-knit community and such a great place to be.”
Q: How has it been starting a job during a pandemic?
Hart: It was really nerve-racking, to say the least. I was very scared, especially teaching high school for the first time. The content is something that I haven’t done since student teaching. I was just nervous about how to tackle it all, which is normally how it feels teaching a new grade level but then taking it on virtually, it was just scary. But then when it began, it was surprisingly smoother than I expected. I think the main focus for me is just to create a community, because it was such a different environment, and then I knew the learning would happen eventually. So just more time went toward building that community because we couldn’t even see each other because cameras weren’t turned on. In a way, it was kind of refreshing too, because I feel like it helped me focus on what matters most in a classroom — which is everyone connecting and learning from each other. So as hard and scary as it was, it had its upsides.
Ange: It was an interesting situation because I was in grad school and I just started student teaching in February. Then March happened, and it was really crazy though because I had my interview for Independence on March 12, 2020, and I got the job on March 13, which was the day that all schools shut down and everything went into lockdown. It was perfect timing because I didn’t really have to worry about the pandemic because I had already gotten a job, but everyone in my program who didn’t get a job was freaking out. It was a very interesting time period looking back but I think it helped me being a student because all of my classes were three hours on Zoom. So I learned a lot from my professors and I was able to carry that over and didn’t feel too awkward starting out because I had already been in the student perspective. As for the hiring process, it was almost like any other year except a little more nerve-racking because of what was going on. It was like any other year where you have to adapt to the situation and circumstances. It wasn’t really hard to adapt though because everyone was super friendly on calls. It was super nice though because I felt part of the school before I even began.
Magalong: Starting at a new school is always stressful. There’s always a level that you have to just adapt, which is something I think we all have done. I think for me, personally, the hardest thing is to build a community and interact with students. I am a big introvert and so it takes me a lot of time to get to know people and open up and joke around. I’m usually pretty straight laced, to the point. So that’s just been really hard, getting to know my students online, especially because not everyone has their camera on. Being online, there’s specific times that we are on and obviously the first semester we were on for 6o minutes and now we are on for 90 minutes, and even then kids are quick to leave. That’s been the biggest struggle for me and I really miss that aspect from the traditional classroom.
Q: What are you looking forward to once we can all go back to school?
Hart: Seeing the students for sure; I miss the chaos. What I loved about [teaching] eighth grade was the wild energy and how unpredictable it was. So I’m looking forward to that similar thing but in high school and seeing everyone in person. I love how unexpected the classroom [is] and the humor of the kids is one of my favorite parts of teaching and the different personalities and how they mix together in every class is so different and that is what makes this job so fun. I’ve really missed that and that’s been the hardest thing to adjust to in the virtual environment is just that energy and how things are really unpredictable. For example, I’m not used to long pauses of silence and so I’m excited for things to be a little louder and for people to walk in and be in a bad mood or something. I will take anything — I’m just excited to see students. I hope we get a good amount back — that will make me even more excited. I just want to see as many students as possible, because it’s so important to have that community. That’s where the best things happen when it comes to learning. I can’t wait to see people in person, including co-workers. We haven’t been able to see each other in person at all except for maybe one time. So I’m just excited to see everyone together.
Ange: I’m super excited to meet students. I mean I’ve never really had my own students before. With student teaching, I always felt like a guest, but now I don’t even know half of my students. Even if we are talking, it’s through the chat. Half the time, I feel like I’m talking to myself but there’s a camera on and then I’m getting a few answers in the chat. I’m not able to have conversations with everyone, including those introverted kids because I was always introverted and shy and I definitely wouldn’t be talking in the chat or have my camera on or any of that. So for those students, it would be nice to talk to them because it’s easier in person, because you can have a side conversation with them. Like Ms. Hart said, [I look forward to] actually meeting our other co-workers, because I do know the English department, but we haven’t met many times or interacted that much outside of meetings. I also don’t know the other departments so I feel like it would be easier to feel part of the community once everyone is together. I also am looking forward to events like pep rallies and to see what everyone is like. It is so quiet, I come into the building everyday, and it’s so quiet. There’s no one in the halls, you might see a teacher, but they’re far away and not interacting. It’s like a ghost town. So it would be nice to see the liveliness.
Magalong: I love the liveliness and energy. I think those are really keywords here. I really miss the small moments in between classes. That’s what I am looking forward to.
Q: Biggest inspiration as a teacher? Most influential teacher that you had in the past?
Hart: I really loved my college professors. I think that’s where I got the most excited about teaching. I learned a lot from my professors more so than my teachers in high school and middle school. I think that’s because I noticed how easily you weren’t seen if you were one of the quieter kids and were more reserved, and that was me in high school and middle school so I never really felt seen. As I got to college, I don’t know what it was about them, but the professors would hold you into the conversation no matter who you were. I think a part of that was that they were willing to make you feel slightly uncomfortable for your own good and they were so passionate about what they taught. I had one profesor named Mrs. Vojiska [for] an English class but she just loved what she did. Seeing her come in everyday and she had been doing it for 20 or 30 years and she was on fire for her content and so excited about it. She encouraged every student in the room and knew everyone by name. She was inspiring. I had another teacher named Mr. Knowles and I was terrified in that class. I turned bright red when I got called on and I was just terrified to speak Spanish incorrectly. He got to know me and instead of calling me out by name he would look at me. We had a one on one meeting and made a deal because he told me I had to talk during class. So he said because I noticed you getting all nervous so I’m just going to look at you and then you will know to answer. He said eventually, “I’ll keep doing this until we get to a point where I don’t have to look at you anymore.” I think that was one of the most inspiring things that ever happened to me as far as how a teacher acted with me. And I carried that with me into my own teaching and trying to get to know each student so that you can understand what they need in order to succeed in any kind of environment. So I think just the vast majority of my college professors were really inspiring in that way.
Ange: I was always really shy, and I did have some teachers in high school who I feel like the impact they had was similar in the sense that I was so shy and I was so used to teachers only talking to the extroverted students who put themselves out there. So when a teacher would talk to me or actually get to know me — [that] was really nice. I think the biggest influence on me was my tenth grade English teacher, and that’s why I wanted to teach tenth grade so badly. She was so sweet and she was introverted as well. I always thought that teachers had to be overly energetic and extroverted but she was like me, and that made me think, “Oh, I could be a teacher too.” She always took the time to get to know everyone. She was always nice and never got mad. I was always very intimidated when teachers got mad but she handled everything so well. She was also my homeroom teacher, and I loved being in her classroom. During study hall I’d always just go to her classroom because I felt safe there. I also had a few other teachers too. Mr. Kim, who works here now, which I didn’t know until I had already gotten the job. He was my teacher in eleventh grade and he was so nice and so funny. And now I see that kids love him here and I say “Yeah, he was the best.” I think it’s crazy, because I think it was his first — maybe second year — teaching. Now he’s been teaching for quite a few years, and he was always so great and I remember thinking, “Wow there are actually teachers like this that talk to everyone and are fun.” Another teacher I had in high school who works here now is Dr. Kagan. I always hated science, but I actually did really well in that class even though I’m awful. He was always really funny and energetic. I had a few other teachers. In general, the good teachers and the bad teachers influenced me, because the bad teachers realized I hate coming to school when I have to go to this class but the good teachers made me realize I’m actually excited for school today because I get to see these teachers today.
Magalong: I’ve been fortunate enough to have really good — specifically — English teachers my whole high school career. So I guess this is my shout out to my Robinson English teachers who were all just great. One teacher that I do remember, the first one that really inspired me was my fifth grade teacher. This was back when I still lived in Vancouver, Canada, and she was the most intimidating woman ever and we were only eleven years old. She pushed and challenged us. She made us learn a lot. I also remember her reaching out to us about our personal lives. I was super into track and field at the time, and we had track meets for our school and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it. I remember her coming up to me during lunch and she kneeled down beside me and said, “I think you should go out for this track and field meet.” She wasn’t even involved at all but she knew that I loved running, so she encouraged me to go out for this track and field meet. I ended up going out for the meet and I qualified for regionals and ran at regionals. That was super inspiring to me and it stuck with me even though fifth grade was so long ago. I always, always, always remember her whenever someone asks about my biggest inspiration; she is immediately the first person to pop into my head. Just because even as a fifth grader, I knew she cared about us. Not only in academics, but our personal lives too. She just always wanted us to succeed.
Next we asked the teachers a series of questions to further understand their personalities called the speed round.
Speed round – Hart
Favorite color? Purple
Food? Popcorn
Book? “In the fall they come back”
Movie? “When Harry Met Sally”
Tv show? “Gilmore Girls”
Holiday? Christmas
Restaurant? SweetWater
Animal? Dog
If you could live anywhere where would it be? Galway, Ireland
What is one word for how your friends would describe you? Blunt
Speed round – Ange
Favorite color? Pink
Food? Sushi
Book? “The Bell Jar”
Movie? “Shrek”
Tv show? “Parks and Rec” or “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
Holiday? Halloween
Restaurant? Any Asian restaurant; I like Jasmine’s in Leesburg.
Animal? Cat
If you could live anywhere where would it be? Somewhere in Europe, like Belgium or the Netherlands.
What is one word for how your friends would describe you? The first word that comes to mind is annoying, because they would say that as a joke, but maybe humorous.
Speed round – Magalong
Favorite color? Blue
Food? Asian food
Book? This is a really hard question for an English teacher, but currently “Such a Fun Age” by Kylie Reid.
Movie? “Mean Girls”
Tv show? “Friends”
Holiday? Christmas
Restaurant? Fuddruckers
Animal? Polar bears
If you could live anywhere where would it be? Hawaii, I know the living costs are super high and it’s an island but I love, love Hawaii.
What is one word for how your friends would describe you? Goofy