Mrs. Brown, a social studies teacher, may not be your textbook teacher. Yes, she is attentive and hardworking, and she says she is proudest of a student when they are not afraid to take risks. However, she says she often feels like “a chicken with its head cut off.” Students crowd around her desk to the point you cannot see her at all from the door; she teaches multiple classes, sponsors Spanish club, and runs the Law club as well. Despite this, she still has a long-lasting passion for teaching. “I’ve actually always wanted to teach since I was little. I used to make little worksheets for my siblings and force them to be my students,” she laughed. When asked what she is most passionate about when it comes to teaching, she said, “Making sure that all students feel heard, seen, and valued, because everyone deserves those three things.”

        When asked if she was involved in any activities related to the subjects she teaches now, she said, “No, I am the Spanish club sponsor, but I do not know Spanish. But they asked me to because they needed a sponsor, and I love all things culture, and I love learning new things. Mock trial I did not do, but I always wanted to do it in high school. I was too shy and scared to do it.” When she was asked about the Spanish club, she responded, “We’ve been very active in our community. We volunteered at the Heritage festival in the fall. We’ve just been making sure to spread Spanish culture throughout the building because we have a lot of Hispanic students here.” A student of Brown’s, Camilla Lechuga, said, “The members of our club are really diverse, regular Americans to Asians. We like to share our culture, and we like to include them in our events.” According to Brown, the Law Club mainly exists to hold mock trials. “It’s a fake trial, so you have a role, and you learn your role. You pretty much just act your character.” Mrs. Brown also teaches regular classes throughout the day, adding to the “thousands of different voices” she feels she has to filter through at all times. 

        Brown says she is “very tired” as a result of running the clubs and teaching multiple classes. “I try to split my time pretty evenly, but I usually end up doing more stuff for the Spanish club.” To get her through the struggles that come with so much teaching, she was asked how she remained motivated. She pointed to a poster on her wall with Bruce Lee on it, which reads, “Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.”