Do you know all the new teachers in USD 481?
We are welcoming Mrs. Angela Harris to White City Schools. This is her first year in the Rural Vista school district. She grew up near Dwight, and she has become familiar with White City and some of the families over the years. She really appreciates how much the community supports the schools, so when a teaching position opened up, she took a chance.
We asked how long Mrs. Harris had been teaching. She was the principal at Prairie Heights Elementary in Alta Vista for two years before this job. Before that, she was a Title 1 Reading teacher for 3 years and a special education coordinator for 9 years. She started her career in Special Education and was a teacher for 5 years.
Mrs. Harris is getting to know all of the students here. Undertaking a new teaching position, she is looking forward to working in a JH/HS setting. She has mostly been in the elementary world, so she thinks this is a nice change.
Mrs. Harris values seeing students for themselves. She wants to teach students to become as independent as possible. She wants to help them accomplish their school goals, so that later in life they can accomplish their career goals.
Mrs. Harris appreciates everything about her students, even when things are challenging. She is always trying to figure out how to help them. Mrs. Harris says that, sometimes, she doesn't know immediately if she is making a positive difference in the students’ lives.
Mrs. Harris told us about her educational background. Her first degree was in athletic training. She knew she didn’t want to work at the college level, so she got her P.E./health teaching degree. When she was unable to find a position in that field, she entered the world of special education.
Our new teacher graduated high school in 1997. We asked where she went to college, and she said that the better question is, “Where haven’t I gone to college?” She has attended:
Butler County Community College (before it was BCC)
University of Kansas
Emporia State University
Fort Hays State University
Washburn University (but just for a few credit hours)
In her free time, Mrs. Harris said that she likes to watch her daughter do activities. Her daughter is 9, and Mrs. Harris really enjoys watching her and her teammates.
Welcome Mrs. Harris to USD 481!