West Carteret has many amazing and committed teachers. In this column, I hope to highlight a West Carteret teacher to give a bit more insight into who they are. This edition’s spotlight is focused on the one and only, Mrs. Curley.
1. What initially drove you to become a teacher?
I really liked the idea of coaching. The schedule really worked out well. I started coaching when I was in college. My junior year was when I switched to the school of education to pursue my passion.
2. What would you say has been the highlight of your career thus far?
I have worked in many different types of schools - religious, college prep, and independent; West is my first public school. I guess seeing how education works has been my career's highlight. Seeing how expectations and curriculum changes but the relationships with students are the same.
3. Math appears to be the main subject that most students struggle with. What tips would you give to study/learn math?
A common misconception is that you can study math just by looking at it. Instead, knowing how to practice with individual problem repetition is key, the same as practicing like a sport. Once you fully understand the concept, move on.
4. What is one thing students would be surprised to learn about you?
I am a huge college football fan. I really like reading up on the stats. I am really into water sports - Water skiing and wake surfing, for example.
5. If you won the lottery and decided to give up teaching, what would you do instead? Why?
I would love to travel. I would want to be settled somewhere - not move around anymore. But, I would still need the personal connection missing and would find a way to stay involved with coaching.
6. Are there any embarrassing teaching moments you are willing to share? What are they?
During my first year of teaching, my power went out. Because the power went out, my phone didn’t charge, and I didn’t have an alarm to wake me up. So I was late to work and just showed up half an hour late without telling anybody. But in the meantime, the school had called my parents since they were my emergency contact, and my parents had to break into my apartment and head over to the school. That was embarrassing since everybody in the school knew that I was late and my parents had to break into my apartment.
7. In which other teacher’s class would you like to enroll, even for a day? Why?
I would choose Ms. Lancaster because she makes people feel so well-known and so loved that it must feel really good to be a student in her class. I think she makes people feel really good about themselves, so I imagine sitting in there is like a positive uplifting.
8. If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?
Freshman year of college can be really challenging, and I think a lot of freshmen put on a facade that it's not. Not everybody is having the time of their life - everybody is struggling with some of the same stuff. You need to find a close group of friends where you guys can be honest with each other and offer support to one another.