Departing from her Caraway Owl roots and now entering the Warrior double doors, Ms. Shannan Hall becomes surrounded by masses of students as she altruistically steps into her role as Applied English lll and IV educator.
The internal debate about what path of life to follow is arguably a universal experience. For Ms. Hall’s discovery it started during her late 20s, shortly after her travels working as a nanny.
“I took some time off to travel, and then I’ve always worked with kids, but in my late 20s, I was a nanny for a family in Aspen, Colorado,” Ms. Hall said. “I discovered that I just really had a passion for working with kids, and it just seemed like an easy thing to do.”
Entering the third week of school, Ms. Hall now spectates students who are facing the same dilemma caused by the difficulty of finding a calling among the seemingly endless options. Despite their struggles, Ms. Hall is confident that students will use the resources provided by the school to assist them in their journey, and is cheering them on from afar.
“It’s fun to see kids exploring and shining in different areas and be so self-sufficient,” Ms. Hall said. “Whether it be in theater or sports or dance or even orchestra and band, it’s incredible to see.”
Boasting a background of 25 years in education, Ms. Hall has exercised her passion for engaging with children specifically in the elementary school setting. Venturing into the high school atmosphere, however, Ms. Hall finds that as an educator, you need to be able to both teach a curriculum and carry the emotional literacy to pass on life lessons that will eventually guide students through life.
“I hope that we can create a community where people respect and admire one another and also learn from each other,” Ms. Hall said. “It’s not only the curriculum that we’re learning, but also how to work in our society. I think in education, our number one goal is to help people become good citizens.”
As a brand new Warrior, Ms. Hall hopes to commence the beginning of her Westwood career on a high note. Prior to this year, Ms. Hall’s plans consisted of settling down and beginning her retirement. In spite of the roadblocks in teaching, though, Ms. Hall felt that she still had more to offer as an educator. This year, she desires to meet those expectations.
“My expectations are that all of my students learn and that they will choose to grow, [and] that I am able to help them navigate these next steps in their life,” Ms. Hall said.
