Collin’s classroom always has this ray of sunshine shining out from the inside, students crowd around her desk speaking to her as if she was a part of their friend group, students who have not had her wonder why everyone adores her so much. According to Kat Steel, an English teacher at Oak Hills High School “Mrs. Collins and Ms. Kelly are young and friendly, students see qualities in them that they would like in their own friends.”
One thing has stayed consistent throughout my four years at Oak Hills High School, my after school routine. Everyday since my freshman year I’d walk into Mrs. Collins’ room and chat with her until my mother arrived to pick me up, and through those four years I’ve learnt a lot about Mrs. Collins.
Katie Macke, an Intervention Specialist at Oak Hills High School asked me what my favorite quality of Mrs. Collins was. My answer was her kindness and compassion towards every student, not once have I walked into Mrs. Collins’ room and felt “unwanted” or “unwelcome,” like I was disturbing her. She tries her very hardest to make every student feel like her room is a safe space.
Collins graduated from Wright State University in 2009, “yes, it was my first choice college” Collins tells me, “I loved it because it was like an hour from here so it was like I lived away but I was still really close to home.” Collins loves her parents dearly, cherishing every moment she can spend with them. Collins told me she lives all the way past Mason, since it’s so far, I inquired why she would want to work at Oak Hills. She told me, “My parents only live 10 minutes down the street too so I get to see them too.”
I wondered what high school Collins went to if her parents live so close to Oak Hills, “I went to Oak Hills” she told me, “Especially when I first started working here there was a lot of teachers working that taught me, it was so hard I had a Spanish teacher and I was calling her Senora like even now and I’m like its okay you can call her Claire, that’s her first name but I couldn’t.”
Collins dream profession had always been to become a teacher, “I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher at first” she told me, “I just thought you know my little lovey personality, I thought it would be fun” unfortunately though, Collins kindergarten dreams were about to be crushed. “In college my counselor told me that it’s gonna be hard for me to get a job so that made me change career paths. I said I’ve always been good at math so why not teach math and I got certified 7-12.” Even though Collins was studying to teach Kindergarten, she still loves her high schoolers.
Collins told me her favorite grade level to teach was freshman, I was shocked. Most teachers like Mr. Bishop hate having to teach freshmen. “People think I’m crazy, that I like to teach Freshman, I love em’. I think it’s because like they’re just babies to me still, like I don’t know I like it. I think they’re fine, I think they’re still moldable.” Collins said that one of her favorite things about teaching freshmen is watching how they change from freshman to senior year, “the maturity, like how you grow as a person is astonishing.”
Sometimes, I feel as though students forget teachers are real people with personal lives. Everyone has a story, and I feel like those stories should be shared. Teachers are one of the most resourceful people us students have in our lives, they’re here to teach us and guide us through life’s crazy journey. Teachers have experienced a lot, and oftentimes have the most valuable advice to give. Take this from someone who has spent a lot of time socializing and getting to know their teachers.
Sometimes our greatest resources are overlooked for the most foolish of reasons.
