Click. That’s the sound of the classroom lights turning on, illuminating the brownish-beige desks, smooth to the touch. The smell of stationery fills the air, with shelves neatly stacked with notebooks, turn-in trays, and science posters encouraging students to learn. For Biology and AP Environmental Science (APES) teacher Ms. Sheri Smith, her one year of substitute teaching had familiarized her to these sights and smells. Ready to take on teaching officially and do what she loves, Ms. Smith joins the Westwood community.

With degrees in microbiology, biochemistry, and Spanish from Rice University, Ms. Smith has many key aspirations for the year, and is excited and ready to take on her first year of teaching.

“I hope [that] my students enjoy my class,” Ms. Smith said. “That’s my big thing. [Since] Biology is a required class, I want them to [really] enjoy it. I like to engage the students in what they’re doing so that it’s interesting to them, and I try to do as many hands-on activities as possible.”

Setting a consistent goal for her class environment, Ms. Smith wants to reduce time spent on screens during class to enhance genuine student engagement and to ensure quality learning. Instead of giving students assignments on Schoology, she prefers to do things the old-fashioned way: paper and pencil.

“[I think] students understand things better when they [do their work on paper],” Ms. Smith said.  “I like to have students write things out because I think they remember [the concepts] better that way, [and] hands-on experiences is how I generally prefer to teach.”

With the belief that having knowledge in science is a useful life skill, Ms. Smith aims to incorporate the practical applications of science into her teaching strategies.

“It’s good to have a good foundation [in science] so that you can understand things about your own medical health, and about the world and the environment around you,” Ms. Smith said. “It’s a really important subject.”

Singling out Westwood among her top choices for work, Ms. Smith was attracted to the diversity and work ethic of the students.

“It’s a very diverse community, and I appreciate all of the different backgrounds my students have,” Ms. Smith said. “[That’s] why I wanted to teach here as opposed to at one of the other high schools in the area.”

According to Ms. Smith, a challenge many teachers in 2024 encounter is the students’ attention span. In a digital age, the ability of students to pay quality attention for long durations of time is getting shorter every year.

“It’s very challenging to be as engaging as digital technology, and that’s one of the reasons I’m a big advocate of the no-cell-phone policy during class time,” Ms. Smith said. 

Taking the opportunity to explore the student and character dynamic at her new campus, Ms. Smith notes, and admires, teenagers’ increased perseverance and resolve compared to when she was in high school.

“I think that the kids today are just really amazing. We put a lot of pressure on them, and we ask a lot of our students, [but] most of them rise to the challenge, and that’s what I like about kids these days,” Ms Smith said. “I like teenagers. I think they’re neat and interesting, and I enjoy getting to know them and knowing their unique perspective.”

Ms. Smith is eager to start her first year teaching at Westwood. She’s aware of the challenges that come with stepping into a new role, but is ready to take them head-on and continue to do what she loves — working with kids.

“I’ve had a lot of different things that I do throughout my life, but the most of my time I was working, I was helping kids in their journey through life,” Ms. Smith said. “I’m happy I can continue working with kids here at Westwood.”