In a year unlike any others, students reflect on favorite staff members

I would say I'm not the best student. Once I'm on the wrong foot with a teacher, I feel like I should give up in the class and just slack off. I always think it's going to make the teacher mad. It does not. You just watch your grades go lower and lower every day. Well, freshman year I started off on the wrong foot with algebra teacher Nancy Doehring. I could not tell you what happened. I never turned...

There were a multitude of things I was nervous about when I first entered high school three years ago; however, biology class with Kristen Lynam was not one of them. My siblings had Ms. Lynam as their biology teacher and my mom had the pleasure to work with her for many years, so I was reassured numerous times of how good of a teacher she was. I quickly learned my family's appraisal of Ms. Lynam was wron...

Allyson Pitcel teaches English II and AP English Literature. Mrs. Pitcel makes English fun and interesting for her students with her unique assignments that keep students captivated. She starts every class with a random attendance question, which is really fun. I look forward to going to Mrs. Pitcel’s room everyday for 4th period and lunch. My friends and I eat lunch in her room and she always...

As a virtual student, Megan Ortiz, my photojournalism teacher, has had a very positive impact on my school year. Throughout my first year, this class and all of its projects and activities allowed me to stay connected and learn about the school from a distance. Ortiz (I normally would say Mrs. Ortiz, but I have been told that the journalistic standard is to use the last name only) has kept me involved...

Coach Kim Ackerman teaches Principles of Education and Teen Leadership while helping coach boys track and cross country. She has an energetic and outgoing personality that fits well with her calming and welcoming classroom filled with couches and dimmed lights. It’s always the best part of the morning and a reason to look forward to school. She likes to connect with her students by having "good...

Do you think it is important to have a personal connection with a teacher?  Ms. Rolanda Wilkins, my Child Development teacher, showed interest in all of her students.  At the start of this year when everyone was still virtual, we had a breathing and meditation exercise before her first Zoom meeting even started.  This calmed my nerves and anxiety about starting a new class on Zoom.   Ms. W...

As a freshman and now as a sophomore, I have had the privilege of having coach James Showers as one of my teachers. As an in person or online student, he never fails to make me laugh. When I first had coach Showers freshman year, he instantly became one of my favorite teachers because of the environment he created in his classroom and the attitude he put out to his students. Not only has coach Showers...

At first glance it doesn’t seem like much. A medium-sized classroom with bare walls and only three posters as decoration, but Lucas Kemp’s room doesn’t need to have decorations. This year has been hard for everyone and he has made it a little easier. He always responds to messages as soon as possible; and if you make mistakes about due dates, he is lenient. At the beginning of the year, he...

Teaching others is a difficult and demanding job. Some teachers struggle to make their classes fun and easy to learn. Spanish teacher Jose Sanchez always makes his class entertaining and filled with learning. He has been teaching here for three years. He teaches Spanish II, III, IV and V. He always keeps kids wanting to learn more and keep going. Sr. Sanchez has been an amazing teacher. He is motivating...

I never would have believed how much of an impact Mrs. Morgan would have on me when the school year first started. Mrs. Morgan is an algebra teacher. I thought I would have failed algebra, but she helped me. Whenever I have a question, she is more than happy to answer all my questions. Everyday is something different in her class and I’m never bored. The class has a bunch of quotes on the wall...

Coach Kendall Searcy doesn’t just help the students in her classroom, but she also helps coach the softball and volleyball team. Even in the early mornings during practice, Searcy would always be happy and energetic. She always shows up in the morning with a Chick-fil-A coffee in her hand. This is Coach Searcy's first year teaching here, she just came out of Hamilton College while playing sof...

Mrs. Jami Windham calls herself a sophomore at Kingwood Park because it’s her second year as a teacher on campus. The "Black Box” is where most of the theater classes take place. It’s Mrs. Windham's room. She always waits for her students outside the classroom at the beginning of each period. Her patience and good humor are two qualities that make her stand out as an educator.  As a new stu...

I never imagined that English would become one of my favorite classes until the first day I walked into Mrs. LaBello's class. On the first day of face-to-face school she was standing right in front of the class with a smile as bright as sunshine and a radiant positive energy that could be felt even from a mile away. Her perseverance and her Tibetan singing bowl make her class unique and help me...

I only needed to see the back of HazelAnne Prescott’s head to know it was her. Walking down the hallway, rocking purple hair, she smiled and greeted me as she walked by her AP Human Geography classroom. I wasn’t surprised to see her hair purple -- in fact, I was grinning from ear to ear. You see, Prescott isn’t an ordinary teacher. She promotes not memorization and regurgitation, but actual...

Astronomy and Priciples of Physics teacher Joe Ehrhardt can always be found with a smile on his face as he greets and holds the door open for students who enter his classroom. While there are only 55 minutes in each class period, this is just enough time for Ehrhardt to transform students’ days and have them leave his classroom with a smile on their face. As Teacher Appreciation Week takes place,...

Gregerson is a new teacher at Kingwood Park  this semester, and it didn't take long for students to get used to him. Some students say it feels like he's been here all year. Mr. Gregerson teaches World Geography and said next year he might become a football coach. From the posters of LSU to mini flags with LSU on them around the class, I can tell he graduated from LSU. I feel like students are...

Algebra 2 teacher Clare Kerr has been following her passion and teaching mathematics for over 20 years. She has even taught the parents of students at Kingwood Park. Mrs. Kerr always goes above and beyond to help her students excel to the next level. She is always ready to work with a great attitude and is very engaged with her students, making sure they understand the material being taught. Before...

Kimberly Villegas has mainly taught juniors and seniors for the majority of her years at Kingwood Park. This year she taught Pre-AP English II, and it has been such a pleasure to be in her class sophomore year. Although sophomore year is definitely not the hardest year, she has helped many students deal with the sophomore slump with compassion and understanding. Not so many teachers will run to...

Ms. Leslie Norris is one of the most lighthearted people I come across everyday. She never hesitates to help students out or make sure all her “babies” are having a great day. If you don’t know who she is, just look for a huge beaming smile ready to give you a helping hand. Ms. Norris, along with all of the other amazing women who help make our breakfast and lunch everyday, are truly heroes for ...

Coach Jeffrey Hamilton wasn’t an easy coach to play for. He would yell at you. He would be hard on you. He would run you until you threw up sometimes. But that’s his job. Coach Hamilton helped me in so many ways that I can’t even imagine. I remember he would always tell us that everything is earned and never given, which is one of the most truthful things I’ve ever heard. Coach Hamilto...

Everyone in the 2200's hallway knows when chemistry classes are learning about stoichiometry because of Ms. Rosato’s pure joy and boisterous voice. She carries that passion and excitement through all her units, but stoichiometry happens to be the most notable. She truly loves chemistry and it shows. She plans fun labs and shows them off to everyone on Twitter. More than that, she cares about her s...

From teaching high schoolers during the day and college students at night, Dr. Kari Welch is constantly working to help her students succeed. She really tries to help her students get the most out of their biology lesson. She sets up classes like tutoring sessions so students can get the most out of the class. She also has her classroom open for questions or a quiet work space every Monday and Tu...

Mr. Dang’s sixth period class starts each period with an “outfit of the day” presentation where someone stands at the front and shows off their outfit, and of course Mr. Dang’s outfit. Cheers erupt when he shows off his ankle brace and his Apple Watch.  Mr. Dang makes a hard class fun through jokes, songs and his overuse of the word “whatever.” UT football, his two cats and the song The...

It’s teacher appreciation week, and students are finding various ways to thank the teachers and staff members who have been there for them. The first teacher that comes to my mind would be Lara Webb. Ms. Webb is one of two art teachers. She is an astounding teacher who helps any student with any subject or problems they might have.  She is a single mother of a beautiful daughter that she adores. ...

Ms. Cyndi Vaughn was fun to get to know. Even though she’s straightforward when it comes to dance and will tell you when you’re wrong, she’s supportive, sweet and knows how the mind of a teen works.  Ms. Vaughn has gotten me through tough situations this year and worked me to get where I am today. She is one of the most hard-working dance coaches I’ve had. I know a lot of stressful thing...