At February’s Board of Trustees meeting, Miss Hannah Haguewood, First Class teacher, and Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, Fifth and Sixth Class language arts teacher, presented about their experience at the Academy. Both are in their second year at the Academy and share how it has impacted them as educators.
After applying for the position of Seventh and Eighth Class language arts teacher and being interviewed, I was asked to shadow the Middle School for a day. When I walked onto campus for the first time, I was amazed by the respect and happiness that emanated from the students and faculty. I was coming from a school without any religious affiliation, but coming to the Academy, I could feel a joy in the atmosphere that can only be felt through God’s doing.
My first year teaching at the Academy was a year where God blessed me with working with wonderful teachers and Seventh and Eighth Class students. I loved how each child understood their responsibility to serve others, own up to their mistakes, and value their education. That is rare to find in schools these days. I will cherish not only the lessons I taught to the students last year, but the lessons I learned from them.
Toward the end of last year, I was given the opportunity to teach an additional First Class this current year. Putting my faith in the journey God has for me, I said yes to that opportunity. It has been eye opening to see ASH from an elementary perspective. Again, the students that make up the ASH family are one-of-a-kind, and the teachers that are working alongside of me have been very helpful in assisting me. I will say, working with the little ones definitely requires an extra cup of coffee in the morning!
The Academy of the Sacred Heart has made me love teaching again, and I am grateful to both God and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne for guiding me along this path.
— Hannah Haguewood
The past year and a half have been by far been my favorite of my eight years of teaching … I feel so blessed to spend my days doing something that truly fulfills me in a place that aligns with my internal values.
I didn’t have any direct experience with the Religious of the Sacred Heart or Sacred Heart education before joining the Academy’s faculty, but I have quickly developed a great appreciation for our history, charism, and mission.
Besides feeling enriched spiritually while working at the Academy, I have also found myself positively challenged as an educator. This challenge arises first from my students. One of my first impressions of the students here which has held true is their desire to learn and dedication to doing their best. The level of care they display is honorable and motivates me to be my best each day. The students are also genuinely happy here. They seem to go through their days with ease that comes from a deep knowledge of being safe, seen, and loved for who they are.
I am blessed to be surrounded by experienced, talented, and immensely passionate educators. They made my transition to the Academy seamless and have quickly come to feel more like family than coworkers. I went to lunch with Megan Horner and Tammy Strother the summer before last school year, and I remember asking them what has kept them here so long. Megan eloquently described her reason as the “it” factor, where the “it” is not a thing but rather a person, the person of Jesus in our hearts and the person of St. Philippine whose footsteps we follow in. I thought it was a sweet sentiment at the time, but didn’t know how true I would realize it is. I daily feel challenged to do my part in contributing to this “it” factor.
— Elizabeth Johnson
