First days are hard for everyone, including teachers. Despite the difficulties, our new teachers expressed both gratefulness and pride to be a part of the encouraging and supportive environment that is our school.
Dr. Vandevelder, more commonly known as Dr. V, is a new ninth grade science teacher, who decided to come to Godwin for her acquaintances with fellow science teachers, Mrs. Ostrom and Ms. Martin.
To achieve her higher educational degrees, she’s attended different universities, including Tennessee Tech, University of Arkansas, and VCU.
When asked what she does outside of school, VanDevelder shared that she spends her free time doing synchronized swimming on a team called the River City Magnolias and loves to play in the river.
Similarly, Mrs. Dawson, another new member of the Godwin community, is a ninth grade teacher.
She has had deep connections with Godwin since many members of her family attended this school, including her daughter. She earned her degree at VCU, preparing to be a writer, but fate drove her to teaching English instead.
When Dawson isn’t teaching, she enjoys being outdoors, spending time in the mountains, and kayaking. Additionally, she has a passion for reading, which aligns perfectly with her role as an English teacher.
Despite their different stories, both faculty members expressed a similar theme surrounding Godwin’s infrastructure.
While sharing her unique and surprising experiences beginning at Godwin, VanDevelder commented, “I didn’t know that I wouldn’t have windows in my classroom.”
However, Dawson said she was used to the lack of windows as her previous school, Quioccasin, has even fewer than Godwin. But, she does agree that windows would be a nice addition to learning.
Nevertheless, they are both determined to not let that ruin the goals they have set for this year.
When speaking about their students and plans for the upcoming year, both Dawson and Vandevelder lit up, with both having unique ways of operating their classrooms.
Instead of dull lectures, Dr. V prefers a flipped classroom setup where students are expected to take notes at home and interact more in school. She said, “I like for them to start to be more independent because they’re freshmen.”
Similarly, Dawson has a modern take on teaching, where students should be ready for student-led instruction and dialogue in the classroom. She emphasized that “I just want to make English fun and not boring.” The days of copying notes off the board will soon cease to exist if teachers continue to incorporate non-traditional methods, with new staff members leading the charge.
Because of the well-known stress that comes with the senior experience, these new faculty members shed some light on the stress and anxious process that are college applications.
VanDevelder comfortingly shared, “It’s okay; find out what you like and filter that out with the things you don’t like. It takes time, not everyone gets done in four years, not everyone gets done in six years, it’s okay, life happens.”
While Godwin has proven time and time again its welcoming nature, it’s time to show one more round of applause for its newest members of the community. Welcome to the nest.
A Peek Into The Lives of Godwin’s New Faculty Members
