History teacher Casey Hopkins decided to teach kindergarteners when she was younger. She graduated college with a master’s in geospatial intelligence. Recently, she realized she wanted to teach but was not mentally prepared to teach kindergarten and began to rethink her decisions.
Hopkins decided to teach history to high school students. This is her first year teaching and she absolutely loves every minute of teaching. “I like history because it’s basically just drama from the past. I really like lectures and telling students information in a fun way,” Hopkins said.
Teachers have favorite parts about teaching. She likes to banter with students and see the way students grow. “I want to teach students how to effectively argue using evidence-based reasoning and watch them grow,” Hopkins said.
She feels strongly about history and tries to make school more fun for students. “I believe that history is important and that it can get depressing but it should not affect the way a student feels negatively since it is in the past. It should be taught so that students can have fun while still learning the important facts,” Hopkins said.
Students have different ways of learning. Teachers forget that not everyone learns the same way so it’s important to use different methods. “Mrs. Hopkins uses visual images and makes connections to the topics we are learning. She always gives us the benefit of the doubt,” freshman Noa Lucas said.
These days students are having trouble with school which can impact them negatively. Sometimes it takes a while for students to get help from teachers. “Mrs. Hopkins always makes sure to have time with students that need it. I go to her almost every day for advisory and she always answers my questions. She takes her time to make sure that I understand the material,” freshman Claire Spivak said.
Homework also takes up a ton of time which can drain students mentally. “I try not to assign homework but I believe if you aren’t using class time appropriately to do work then it should become homework. If there are students who are struggling to keep up I will allow them to submit it whenever they can,” Hopkins said.
At home, teachers have other jobs or activities. She has a son and loves to hang out with her family. “At home, I’m mostly watching Cocomelon or Mrs. Rachel with my son,” Hopkins said.
Hopkin’s son is very young and she loves to hang out with him. She loves kids and since she has a kid it allows students to make connections with her. “She is younger and since she has a kid she understands how we feel so she can connect with us more. She takes time out of her day to help us when we ask,” Spivak said.
Hopkins is always looking out for her students. “She is very patient and if students are having trouble she will allow students to come to advisory and get a head start on an assignment,” Lucas said.
