What’s best for the kids?

This is the question that English teacher Annette Evans asks herself every day as she prepares for the day’s lessons. It’s also the mindset that originally gave her the inspiration to pursue a career in teaching in the first place. “My career has been inspired by teachers and principals who always prioritize kids because it’s all about the kids,” Evans said.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Evans originally wanted to pursue a career in music before she transitioned to a career in teaching. “I went to music school my last two years of high school on scholarship,” and she attended the University of Michigan in pursuit of a music career, Evans said.

In fact, if Evans had stayed the course of her music trajectory, she said she would be currently performing the saxophone for a career. However, a book by the title of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” would help catalyze a passion for literature that would extend into a teaching career at 29 years and counting.

While Evans had a heightened interest in literature going back to her early childhood, she did not pursue teaching until after a preliminary career in the office. Incidentally, a negative experience in this field led her to explore alternative career options. “I hated office work, I always watched the clock,” and in my entire teaching career, she never watched the clock, Evans said.

This career switch has not only paid immense dividends for Evans, but for her students as well. “I thought her class was engaging, especially with class discussions and I enjoyed how much she interacted with her students and was communicative with them, and it was clear that she was passionate about what she taught,” senior Julia Bautista said.

This amount of engagement and interaction in the classroom is intentional, as Evans wants her students to explore literature with the purpose of thinking beyond the words printed on the paper in front of them. “Education is everything, [and] a chance to contribute to kids thinking more deeply is a win,” Evans said.

The emphasis of critical thinking, along with Evans’ organic love for her profession has left a tremendous impact on her students. “Ms. Evans was a great teacher because she had a great attitude towards teaching. She greeted us everyday when class started and was very open to questions and discussions. I also liked that she was strict enough to enforce the rules like no cell phones and I also liked how she would keep our brains running throughout the semester,” senior Jonathan Lei said.

Even though Evans spends a tremendous amount of time on her craft, she also enjoys several activities outside of the classroom. She still learns and practices music, and she was even part of a Maryland military band up until a few years ago. She also still swims on a regular basis, as she was a varsity swimmer in high school.

Yet, there may be nothing more that Evans enjoys than a good book. In fact, during Thanksgiving of 2020, she recruited a number of her family members to read the entirety of Don Quixote, a book that spans over 1,000 pages, on a series of zoom calls together. Despite its immense length, Evans relishes in the amount of effort it took to read and understand this all time classic novel. “What is cool about Don Quixote is that it is not always pleasurable to read,” but she feels an immediate change within herself once she finishes reading, Evans said.