The Teacher Spotlight of The Week is Ms. Tara Stafford, the anatomy and biology teacher.
Stafford studied for her associate’s degree in science at Danville Community College, and for her bachelor’s degree in biology at Virginia Tech.
Stafford has served as an educator for twenty-one years, although she never originally planned to become a teacher.
“During college I worked at a daycare and fell in love with that work,” Stafford said. “After college, a friend of mine suggested that I try teaching and actually use my degree. I loved my job at the daycare, but the pay was not great so I decided to try teaching instead.”
Stafford’s most valued aspect of teaching is witnessing students make connections between what they learn and the life around them.
“I love sharing my passion for the biological sciences,” Stafford said.
While the classroom can be a difficult place to consistently encourage motivation, Stafford has found that balancing a routine with occasionally mixing things up proves to be a successful motivator.
“I find that hands-on activities usually help students learn the best,” Stafford said. “I also reward students for hitting certain goals or showing growth.”
“My hope is to create informed citizens,” Stafford said. “I want my former students to be able to take what they learned in biology and apply it in their lives whether that be in a future profession or just maintaining their own health.”
Through Stafford’s years of teaching, she has faced many rewarding moments in her career.
“The rewarding moments are always when a student writes a short message of appreciation; I keep them all and reread them on the tough days,” Stafford said. “It is always great when I see a former student out in public, and they light up when they see me.”
There will always be challenges that teachers have to face on a daily basis.
“My biggest issue is wanting success for some students more than they want it for themselves,” Stafford said. “There are some policies that the school system implements that I have a tough time seeing how it is beneficial in the long run for students. My advice to aspiring teachers would be to be firm and set boundaries for your own sake and mental health, but at the same time make sure students know that you care,” Stafford said. “Building connections and getting to know your students is the easiest way to get the best results.”
“My advice to students is that school can be hard and in some cases, life can be harder,” Stafford said. “While at school, make sure you give everyday and every assignment your best. When you are not capable of giving your best, communicate with your teachers or adults at school that you can trust. Just as students sometimes forget that teachers have real lives and can be going through tough times outside of school; I think we as teachers can do the same thing.”
“It is my hope that every student has at least one adult at school that they feel safe with and can reach out to if needed.”
