Thirty new staff members joined the school in August. Future Teacher Internship teacher Hannah Atmar and ceramics and sculpture teacher Stephanie Shaffer each had their own reasons for choosing their current positions.

RE: Why did you take this job?

A: Last year was my first year teaching; I really loved it. I really wanted students, especially my FTI students in particular, to be able to get the experience to see what teaching is really like before going into college.

S: I took this job because it was a ceramics position for sculpture at high school. I think that this is where you make the biggest impact on a student’s professional life, more so than at a college level.

RE: How does the rest of the staff treat you?

A: The rest of the staff has been very open and welcoming. I have had a great experience so far with being able to collaborate with other people. So, far I have worked the Print Shop, I have collaborated with the librarians quite a bit. And then I have collaborated with the rest of the FTI teachers in the district, as well as elementary teachers.

S: [The staff] are wonderful; they’re fantastic. Everyone’s like a family. We get lots of support and encouragement, and on the emails we get lots of kudos; the principal sends out a lot of “good job, so and so.” It’s a lot more involved than what I have been with before.

RE: What do you think of the school’s atmosphere?

A: I think it’s a very college-ready atmosphere. I think North Garland has tried to establish that through their AVID program and being an AVID Demonstration School. Their MST program and HST program, as well as the CTE department, prepare students for college or the world.

S: They are extremely talented, high energy. The atmosphere is very academic, very focused.

RE: How did you get your job?

A: I was moving back to the Dallas area, because my family is here. I was lucky enough to find the FTI position open and available, which was super exciting because [the job is] difficult to find and get into. I saw the job, applied right away and within two weeks of being [in Dallas] I had a job.

S: I have a librarian friend at another school, and she suggested I apply. I was looking for something high school.

RE: Were there other jobs you wanted to pursue?

A: Before teaching, I went to school for fashion merchandising [my] senior year of college and interviewed for Nordstrom. And that was the path that I was on – to continue to work for Nordstrom and one day be a buyer for their company. Then I realized I wasn’t maybe helping as much, and I wanted to do more. And I have a whole family of teachers, and I decided “You know what? I think I would love to teach high school students and find what motivates them to be successful after high school.”

S: I was going to teach art in China. However, there were some issues with my pets and VISA. I would still like to teach art aboard, and just indulge myself in other cultures. I was thinking Thailand. That’s what I like about this school; it’s so diverse, and there are so many perspectives that come here.