Recently, I sat down with Xavier’s English Department Chair Ms. Lee. During the interview, Ms. Lee was asked about her time at Xavier High School, fond memories, advice for future teachers, and many more topics – continue reading to get to know her better!
Ms. Lee began her career at Xavier High School in the fall of 2003. Before that, she attended Georgetown University, Albertus Magnus college in New Haven, and earned her graduate degree at Saint Louis University. After her schooling, she worked for four years at an elementary school teaching 5-8th grade, and then had a cumulative eleven years of teaching at two different all girls high schools – one in Saint Louis Missouri, and the other here in Connecticut at Sacred Heart. Ms. Lee admits that during the first year she worked at Xavier, she “learned more than anyone else did.” She recalls having to adjust her teaching style to accommodate the young men she was educating. Throughout her time teaching, Ms. Lee has found it best to make a personal connection with students, whether that’s asking about their interests or supporting their activities. She finds that when you make an effort to have a connection with kids, they will “work harder to give the teachers their best.” When teaching boys, however, she finds that they respond to different teaching strategies, such as games and competition. Ms. Lee says that when placed against your fellow classmate, the student’s competitive instincts kick and the student tends to try harder.
Throughout her twenty-one years at Xavier, Ms. Lee has primarily taught English subjects, while also teaching an SAT Preparatory class. She shared a memory of almost teaching a religion class a number of years ago, but ultimately decided not to. When questioned whether she would have any interest in teaching other subjects, she says that she would enjoy teaching a different class, as it provides a different perspective – not only for the teacher, but also for seeing a student and his abilities in a different element. But, ultimately, Ms. Lee enjoys teaching English because the skills a student is able to show off during class discussions or within their writing is unlike that of a different subject, say math, where there is less personality shown within the work.
Surprisingly, Ms. Lee doesn’t believe that Xavier has changed since she started working here, adding that the hallmarks of what makes Xavier unique, such as its community, commitment to service, and education of the whole person have remained the same throughout the years. She shares that throughout her time here, there has been a lot of different leadership, some within the school community such as Mr. Cerreta, and others outside our community. She believes that the school community we have now under Mr. Cerreta, who knows the school so well and “lives and breathes Xavier values,” is great, while also adding that sometimes, in the past, having someone who is more foreign to the school can provide valuable insights that facility inside the community are too blind to see.
Having started teaching before technology was predominantly used in the classroom, she says that the discussion of whether “old fashion” methods of learning are better than technology centered learning is a “double edged sword,” adding that technology gives teachers access to tools that would otherwise make conveying lessons harder than it would already be. On the other hand, she adds that in situations like writing an essay, the old way of completing it is better – where the student would have to write drafts multiple times on paper, and see their work more closely than students would on the laptop, where most students get away with one draft of the essay, and then small revision from there.
When Ms. Lee was asked the common question of which grade she likes teaching the most, she answered that each grade has its own positives and negatives. Freshmen are new to the school community and must be taught the school’s culture. Sophomores understand what is expected of them, and the community, though sometimes thinking they know everything about the school can be their downfall. Lastly, Juniors and Seniors are the most mature, knowing their place within the school, and how to efficiently complete what is expected of them. She adds that towards the end of the year, Seniors begin to check out as they look forward to what comes after high school, though she believes that is a good thing for them to be doing.
When reflecting on her favorite Xavier traditions, Ms. Lee says she most enjoys the spirit week which ends with the intramural basketball championship game in front of the whole school, which, she feels, shows a “great show of community.” Additionally, she enjoys the school’s commitment to helping others, such as can drives and help with local food pantries. Ms. Lee explained that she views most days at school “good days”, and the rare occasion of a “bad day” stems from her own feelings of being overwhelmed with work, and feelings of not giving her best to her students.
Ms. Lee ended this interview with the final comment that she thoroughly enjoys working at Xavier High School and is excited about the rest of the school year!