By: Madison Migiano Ms. Langlais, a Tech teacher here at WHS was chosen to be our last featured teacher of the school year by the publishing class because we all believe that she deserves it. She has been teaching at WHS for five years and went to UCONN for her degree. She started teaching Graphics because she was educated in it when she was in school and she worked in the graphics industry before coming to WHS. Ms. Langlais wanted to also teach publishing, since it was a selling point for her because she took the class in high school and loved it so much that she wanted to be involved with it again. All the classes that she teaches she likes, she doesn’t have a favorite since they are all so different. The teachers that Ms. Langlais had during her high school years were her inspired her as well as her fellow teachers that she works with. “...I’m still learning from them. They inspire me to be a better teacher.” It made her nervous to be chosen, “I feel like there's so many other teachers, but it’s also nice and sweet that you guys chose me.”
Her publishing students had some amazing things to say about her as well for all that she does and to show how much she truly deserves this honor: “Since freshman year she has made technology fun, while pushing me out of my comfort zone.” - Mike Selkirk “Miss Langlais has always put the most effort into our publishing class to make it a great learning experience and teach us so many new tools.” - Emily Gillotti “Ms. Langlais made all four of my high school years the best school years of my life. I appreciate all that she’s done for me.” - Madison Migiano “She’s pushed me to do better with my writing skills.” - Tim Heroux “Being in Ms. Langlais class has been a great opportunity for me to grow as a writer. She has always pushed me to do better and created a positive environment to learn about journalism. I'm grateful for her help and for the experiences I've had in this class.” - Anjeza Skudrinja “She is the type of person who is never mad at you, even when it seems like it.” - Bailey Boivin “Miss Langlais is an inspiring teacher who pushes you to do the best in life.” - Ryan Barnosky
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By: Anjeza Skudrinja Ms. Lavallee is a science teacher at Watertown High School, she teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology, Forensic Science, and sophomore Biology. She went to UConn for her bachelor’s degree in Biology and received her Master of Education from Nova Southeastern. Before becoming a teacher, Ms. Lavallee had 2 other careers. She had to teach and train personnel as part of her jobs. She also teaches Sunday school where she realized she loved teaching kids. She says, “I could only teach science! I love every aspect of science. It explains the world”. During her 15 years of teaching she has only taught at Watertown. She stated her favorite part about teaching is “the students’ excitement. Sometimes they are excited to see the results of a lab or work through an activity, or they are excited to learn how or why something works. I love seeing that spark”. Teaching virtually has been hard for Ms. Lavallee because she has not been able to get instant feedback. Ms. Lavallee says “I like to look at students’ faces for signs that they understand, or they need more help. I think relying on Google Meet or email has its limitations but, those are the best options for now. It is important to keep trying to make connections.” While being away from school Ms. Lavallee states “I miss seeing my students every day. I like hearing their opinion and input. I also miss labs! It is hard to teach science without having labs available.” Ms. Lavallee states that she wishes students would take advantage of Google Meet and office hours. Students have been communicating with her mainly through Google comments. Ms. Lavallee’s advice to students during virtual learning is to ask questions. She states, “I would rather a student ask me twenty questions than remain confused”. Ms. Lavallee remarks, “My main goal is for students to learn the heart of the subject. Many smaller details may not be possible right now, but I want them to know the big ideas. Taking a variety of classes in high school helps students find the right path when looking at colleges. I need the students to have that background to make decisions about their future.” During quarantine, Ms. Lavallee has been going on walks and skyping with her older son and friends. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, knitting, and sewing. She has also made masks for family and friends. During the summer Ms. Lavallee enjoys going to the beach but is not sure that is possible for this summer. She looks forward to reading on her deck since she does not get to as much during the school year. Regarding the future, Ms. Lavallee looks forward to connecting with her students again. She says, “My students drive the class. Often, they ask questions that lead to projects or labs. I love their enthusiasm”. By: Emily Gillotti For the month of April, Ms. Cava has been chosen for Indian’s Info’s Featured Teacher. Ms. Cava has taught at Watertown High School for seven years and was a long term substitute teacher for five years. Ms. Cava attended Boston University for her undergraduate degree and received her Master’s Degree online through Concordia University, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. At first, she trained to be an English teacher, but it was hard to find a job position which led her to become certified as a French teacher. She is currently the only French teacher at Watertown Highschool. Aside from French, she can also speak Italian and Spanish.
Ms. Cava’s philosophy for teaching is that, “language is like legos, you're not reinventing the wheel each time.” She frequently uses technology in her classroom by having her students use Quizlets, Kahoot, and Listening Guides. Her favorite part about her job is getting students to think beyond Watertown and know that there is more to explore in the World besides our small town. She is flattered to be chosen as featured teacher and is happy that students and staff are noticing her work. Outside of school Ms. Cava enjoys walking her dogs, planning road trips, and traveling. One of Ms. Cava’s hidden talents is being very good with plumbing and is very helpful when it comes to fixing a toilet. By: Tim Heroux Ms. Loughlin, who teaches Social Studies, is the Publishing Class’s Featured Teacher for March. She has been a teacher for 14 years, all of which were spent right here at Watertown High School. She currently teaches AP United States History, AP Government and Politics, and Modern World History. Regarding her favorite part about teaching history, she said, “I like that the focus is on analytically looking at history and it focuses on taking your own perspective.” Before becoming a teacher, Ms. Loughlin attended UCONN Storrs and majored in History and Secondary History Education. In her spare time she enjoys reading and trying new things ranging from water skiing to knitting. Ms. Loughlin was chosen as this month’s featured teacher for a variety of reasons. She is very down to earth and isn’t afraid to express her emotions. She’s able to keep her students engaged by doing more than just teaching history. She gets a lot of inspiration from her students by watching them figure things out about history and that is what makes her a practical teacher. Ms. Loughlin has a unique personality and teaching style, which is why she has been chosen for March’s Featured Teacher. |
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