Thomas, Amy

by Stasi Tyser

Amy Thomas
Subjects: U.S. History
Education: A BS degree in secondary education. She minored in history and geography.
Previous Jobs: Sub in New York-this is her first full time job
Came to Blair 2002
Hobbies: tennis, reading, and sleeping
Extra Curricular Activities: None –first year teachers aren't allowed to run them.

According to first- year U.S. History teacher Amy Thomas, teaching is not an easy job. Teachers are under a lot of pressure to cover the required topics in an obligatory format. They must try not to leave any students behind. Teachers must be very dedicated to help their students succeed.

Thomas grew up in Long Island, New York. Her high school experience was entirely different from what she sees now. " If you can imagine, I went to an all girls private school," she said. "Ninety percent of the kids were white. My graduating class was less than a hundred people. It was the complete opposite of Blair."

She said that she knew what she wanted to be from an early age. " When I was in high school, I taught religious education to third graders. I liked seeing them learn, and then I knew that that was what I wanted to do," Thomas said. She later attended Penn State where she received her BS degree in secondary education. Thomas said that a lot of hard work was required for her to get this far.

As hard as it is to believe, teachers do have a life outside of school. Thomas likes to read and play tennis. However, with all the hard work, time and effort that teaching entails, Thomas finds it hard to partake in the activities she once enjoyed doing. She also wants to run an after school activity but, first -year teachers are not allowed to do so.

There are many difficulties that every teacher encounters. " The biggest challenge would be having to learn the U.S. History before I teach it, because I only minored in that subject. It is also hard getting the kids into [the lesson]," Thomas said. The teaching career includes many disadvantages and advantages. "Our school day is a lot longer than the kids'. We do work at home, and grading takes forever!" Thomas said. "However, the gratification that comes along with [the job] makes up for the grading."

Thomas hasn't permanently made up her mind about her plans for the future. While she knows she wants to teach in Montgomery County for a while longer, Thomas has larger aspirations. " My ultimate goal is to become a professor in college before I'm forty," she said.

Thomas says that teaching is not easy. Teachers deserve a lot of credit for all the hard work that they do. They really do put their heart and soul into the job.