Spotlight On Staff - Mrs. Christie

Spotlight on the Staff: Catching Up With Mrs. Christie

Q=Have you ever lived anywhere interesting or exotic?

A= From June of 1996 to July of 1998, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Moldova. This is a former Soviet Socialist Republic, located between Romania and Ukraine. While it might not be exotic by comparison to tropical islands and African locations, it was exotic in its own culture. It was an interesting experience for me on many levels; to be immersed in a new language, living in an area of the world similar to the Polish roots of my heritage and without the modern technologies and resources available in the United States at that time. To get the full experience, I lived with a host family in a small village called Mereseni. I had a host mom, dad, brother and sister who was away at a northern university during the school year. These two years were the most powerful, inspirational and life-changing years of my young adulthood.

Q=Did you have any jobs before becoming a teacher?

A= When I was in high school I had two jobs: during the summer I worked as a camp counselor at Camp Calumet Lutheran in Freedom, NH and during the school year, I worked at McDonald’s. During my college years, I served in the Audio Visual department at Keene State College. It meant that I was responsible for making sure the equipment in all the classrooms was working and if the professor needed a VCR or other type of equipment that I delivered it in time for class and picked it up at the end of class.

Q= What made you want to become a teacher?

A= As odd as it sounds, I feel like my inspiration was from my having such a difficult time, behaviorally and academically, as a student. I was that “naughty” kid who spent much time in the office. I was the “not working to her potential” kid who never put any effort into her work. When I became a camp counselor and started to realize who I truly was as a student, I combined this with my love of children and knew that making up for my years was the best way to serve as an adult. I did have a teacher by the name of Allan Davis in high school, who at the same time as my discovering my love for children, inspired me. Perhaps the timing was a perfect storm...a teacher to model for me what education is truly about, finding my way at a camp that fostered a love of children and self, and a desire to inspire those students who might have been “me.”

Q=What’s your favorite color?

A= Yellow!!!!

Q= What’s your favorite animal?

A= Oh, this is a tough question...I’m not much of an animal person, as any of my current and former students can tell you. I have too many allergies, find pets to be too much responsibility for myself and I travel so much that it’s unfair to own one. So...I really enjoy watching sea otters!

Q=What is your favorite season?

A= Winter!!! I love the cold. I love cross country skiing. I love being outside and playing in the snow. I love sitting by a warm fire. I love the coziness when the power goes out. I love the closeness that it brings my family because we spend so much more time together. Everything seems to slow down and be less busy.

Q= Do you have any pets? If so, what kind of pets?

A= I personally don’t have any pets. My kids have fish.

Q= What college did you go to?

A= Keene State College in Keene, NH for my undergraduate degree. Plymouth State University for my master's degree.

Q= If you hadn’t decided to be a teacher, what would you have been?

A= I have no idea! When I was little I wanted to fly airplanes in the Air Force but I didn’t have perfect vision. At another point I wanted to be an architect but the drawing and math was not my thing. I knew at the age of 15 that teaching was for me, so I don’t truly know. If I wasn’t a teacher now, I’d like to work for companies that create curricula for schools.

Q= What is your favorite subject to teach?

A= Oh, I don’t think I have a particular subject; I love them for different reasons. I love teaching math because it is the subject that kids can tangibly see their progress in which motivates them to do more and better themselves. I love teaching reading because I enjoy reading the stories and hearing others’ thoughts about text. And I love teaching writing because I learn so much from the students about who they are through their text. I can’t pick just one!