
3 minute read
Mrs. Leighton - 2022-2023 OBMHS Teacher of the Year
Q: What made you want to become a teacher?
A: When I was a little girl, my grandfather was still substitute teaching after retiring from teaching 7th grade social studies for 25 years Everywhere we went, someone would come up to him and hug him, and thank him for everything he had done for them when they were in Jr High School I knew I had a servant’s heart and wanted to help others, but I won’t deny I was also fascinated with the way these former students turned adults would light up from seeing him again What an absolute honor & privilege to have the opportunity to make that kind of positive difference I hope I’m making him proud, and I pray I’m earning a few future grocery store hugs from my students too.
Q: What do you love about teaching in Orange Beach?
A: It’s the way the community values the education of our students for me! When we moved here, I was open to returning to work in another field if the opportunity presented itself. However, one short semester later the modulars were placed on the elementary school campus and the inspiring journey of Mako Nation began. It was magnetic, and drew me back to my calling at lightning speed We are so lucky to have the support of this community The people of Orange Beach help teachers keep their tanks full, so we can continue to give to our students as well as our own families It’s such a blessing that you can’t find just anywhere
Mrs.Leighton
Q: What has been one of our proudest moments in the classroom?
A: Earlier this year, my students were genuinely curious about the purpose of Red Ribbon Week I seized the opportunity for them to conduct authentic research Since it was born out of relevance, the impromptu nature of the project left it open ended for students’ creativity and individualized interests In the end, the variety of directions the research had gone was fascinating The statistics students shared had me learning from them A few groups even morphed their presentations into persuasive pitches, covering ways our school could add elements during Red Ribbon Week to be more relevant for our student body. My freshmen were in front of the class applying rhetorical appeals, recalling and activating knowledge I had taught them in 8th grade, when that wasn’t even on the assignment sheet for the project. The post-project reflections students turned in were full of new knowledge they had learned from their peers. It just doesn’t get much better than that for an English teacher. I was so proud of them, and it underscored for me the importance of authenticity in engaging students.
Q: What advice do you give to students interested in teaching?
A: My advice usually focuses on how multifaceted the career is. Are you empathetic? Are you determined and persistent? Are you a problem solver? Are you passionate about continuing to learn? Forever? Can you multitask? Are you a planner but can you be flexible too? Is the safety of others a priority for you? My goal is not to deter anyone interested in teaching, but sometimes the perception of what it means to be a teacher is skewed, and focuses on only one skill set Students may excel in one of these areas, but may need some practice in another area, so it’s a great opportunity to get them thinking about that early