By Chelsea B.
When I got the chance to write an article about one of Federal Hocking’s new teachers, I jumped at the opportunity to interview Ms. Kearns. Ms. Kearns is one of my favorite teachers because of her dedication to her students and their education. She consistently tries to make learning science fun and engaging for everyone.
Ms. Kearns teaches biology, physical, medical, and environmental sciences. She has only been here with us for a year, but overall this is her 11th year teaching. She attended college at Ohio University before working at Alexander High School for 3 years, and then at Milford in Cincinnati for 8. Moving to teach for Federal Hocking brought her not only closer to her family, but also to her friends.“ It was nice to come back and have people, to come back home” she told me.
At home Ms. Kearns has two cats, named Ozzie and Miss Grey. She likes to read, craft, and make soap and candles. She loves spending lots of time with her friends, cooking, and baking for them. This year she has started “Bunko Nights” which are game nights with her friends that usually happen on Tuesdays, as she stated, “On Tuesday we Bunk!” A lot of her free time is focused on coaching the club volleyball team Aleta.
When I asked, “Why did you want to become a teacher?” She responded, “Honestly I went into college thinking I didn’t want to be a teacher. But then I realized that all these fields I was interested in were all science based, and that I really do like working with young adults.” She loves her job because it is exciting, keeps her focused, and she loves getting to put all of her brain power into all that she does. For her, teaching is about more than just the content, it is about accomplishing new things, being proud of yourself, and the opportunities she has to help her students outside of teaching.
Ms. Kearn’s plans for the future are to go back to school for her Master’s degree, she already dedicates so much of her time to learning more about biology and environmental science for school. Her New Year’s Resolution is to read 5 books a month, and her goal is to make the best Buttermilk Biscuit Recipe. When I asked if she liked it here, she told me that she loved it here, and loved learning about the school, saying, “I think people are ready to change things for the better and that’s exciting.”
