A person is not only defined by who they are at their workplace, but also by their life outside of their career. It’s easy to forget that teachers have their own adventures and thoughts outside of the classroom. They’re real people with families, hobbies, and struggles, just like us. I was surprised to learn many new things about Ms. Macha.
If she could collaborate with any historical figure to design a lesson plan she would choose Maria Montessori, “An Italian physician and educator. She believed in nurturing children’s natural interests. I would love to see how she would design lessons today.” Ms. Macha stated. When students are facing motivational challenges, she offers encouragement with words of wisdom. One of her key pieces of advice is, “Look at the big picture. Students have to complete the course in order to graduate; it might be a small assignment, but it fits into the big picture.”
When asked what might students be surprised to know about her, Ms. Macha stated something that was surprising to hear, “Students might be surprised to know that I used to be really good at water skiing.” It’s not something I would have ever imagined about Ms. Macha. She holds pride for her students and gets exceptionally happy when students come to her when they have accomplished something big. When asked what her favorite moments were with her students she shared, “I love it when students come back to share their accomplishments. When they come back and tell me that they were accepted into the school of their choice, it makes me proud. When former students return to teach in Rockport, I get excited. When I see a student reach a goal of losing weight, I am so proud because that is such a hard thing to do. I genuinely love seeing students excited about their accomplishments large and small. Having them come back to tell me what milestone they’ve hit, lets me know that I mattered to them.” As much as she inspires others, her students are equally inspired to achieve great things. While it’s easy to see teachers as figures in the classroom, it’s important to remember that they are people with unique experiences and passions of their own.
