Finding the reason why we do what we do day in and day out is an important part of feeling fulfilled. For most of us, this applies to a career, a job, or whatever occupies most of our time each day. Searching within ourselves for that why helps put things into perspective, and this is exactly what happened when we asked our staff this very important question: why do you do what you do?

     High school ELA teacher Mrs. Gina Grandy has been teaching 9^th-12^th graders the importance of the written and spoken word since the beginning of her career. With 9 years of teaching experience under her belt with 8 of those years being in a cyber environment, she has so much to offer her students. Not all of us have the patience that teaching requires, but Mrs. Grandy believes that it is the most rewarding job there is.

     Teaching allows me to show our youth that tasks can be fun, work isn’t always a burden, reading is relaxing, writing is empowering, and that life is meant to be enjoyed,” Mrs. Grandy says. “I continue in this career because it’s a privilege to be involved in the lives of so many bright, kind souls- students and staff alike. It’s so rewarding to inspire hope in students who need it most because every child deserves the opportunity to achieve success and feel believed in.

     Even though her first priority is always making sure her students are on track to success, Mrs. Grandy explains that the wide range of roles she fills is one of her favorite parts about the job. Some of these responsibilities include being a student advocate for the Student Assistance Program (SAP), traveling all over the state to meet students and administer their standardized assessments, and working closely with special education teachers on the School Systemic Improvement Plan to help increase graduation rates. She is also the school’s TechEd leader, a position that allows her to lead a team of incredibly intelligent colleagues that research the latest educational technology and train other staff on how to use it. Her curiosity with Audio Visual (AV) equipment prompted her to work on many creative filming and video editing projects. 

     My passion lies with teaching students how to appreciate literature and to express themselves effectively, but I do so much more,” Mrs. Grandy says. “I enjoy a great deal of pedagogical freedom as a result of our amazingly supportive administration.

Thank you for all you do to make an impact on the lives of our students, Mrs. Grandy! We hope you continue to follow your why in all you do!