Laker Spotlight
This month I had the opportunity to interview two new CCHS teachers. Both educators bring much positivity and culture to our school.
Abby Montgomery and Valeriya Fritz are both fantastic additions to our staff this year. I asked both women several questions about themselves and their experiences the first nine weeks. I wish I could share all of the interviews, but below are the highlights.
What advice would you give prospective teachers?
Ms. Montgomery suggests researching the field of education before making the decision to teach. There are many fields in the teaching area to choose from, along with different age ranges you can teach. Montgomery also says to make sure you are teaching for the right reasons, as it is important for the kids to know you care about them. Mrs. Fritz suggests observing teachers you like and asking yourself what you like about their teaching styles and how you could use those observations in the future. Also, both Montgomery and Fritz urge future teachers to research what kind of qualifications are needed to be admitted into teacher education. They urge future educators to consider carefully their higher education schools.
Who are past educators that inspired you to teach? Could you tell us about them?
Ms. Montgomery comes from a family of educators, but the one she strives the most to be like is her sister, Lindsey. Her sister is also a teacher for special education students, working in a class similar to the one Ms. Montgomery teaches. Ms. Montgomery says she learned early on that she needed to start listening to her sister more, because Lindsey is a pro at teaching students with disabilities. Mrs. Fritz’s inspiration came from a German professor in college. She said this professor was very encouraging and incredibly enthusiastic about teaching her students.
What specific classes do you teach this year?
While Ms. Montgomery has a unique day-to-day schedule, she explained how she teaches English, math, life science, US history, daily living skills, basic money skills, and experience in workplace principles to her classroom. Like most teachers here at school, Mrs. Fritz has block classes and offers Spanish I.
What is something you want the student body to know about you?
Mrs. Montgomery says it is important to know she is easy to get along with and that this is the first job she has genuinely enjoyed day in and day out since she graduated college. It may get overwhelming sometimes, but with the support of teachers here, Montgomery feels blessed and happy to be a part of the Laker family.
Mrs. Fritz likes to be around people and enjoys spending her days with young people. She is passionate about travelling and learning about new cultures. She also enjoys seeing students outside of school and teaching her young child.
Both women are inspirational and were a joy to interview. I cannot wait to see how they continue to impact our students in the upcoming years.
