Ms. Russell: From Theatre to Teacher

Ms. Russell: From Theatre to Teacher

Ms. Russell (Born Kristen Russell) is an English teacher at Manchester High School West. She has been teaching here for 5 years. Throughout her 5 years at West, she taught many different English classes of different levels. Even before she was an official teacher, she worked as a substitute for a few years. From her experience teaching others, she has proven to be a considerate and respectful teacher. 

                                                        High School Life

2008: Graduated from Manchester High School West 2012: Graduated from Plymouth State University 2012: Started working as a substitute teacher 2015: Started working at Manchester High School West

Ms. Russell was a student at Manchester High School West and is now a teacher here. She mentioned that it was a comforting experience to have her former teachers be her new colleagues. While she was in high school, she was an active member of the theatre program. If she was not a teacher, right now she assumes she would work in theatre, as she always thought it was a lot of fun.

               

                  University Life

Ms. Russell went to Plymouth State University, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English. While at university, she was president of the Poets & Writers Club, and took part in publishing a literary magazine. During this time, she took part in many open mics and had local poets edit and review everything in the magazine. Throughout university, she wanted to try as many things as possible, and had a lot of fun trying many things she never thought she would do. 

Working as a Substitute

Before working as a teacher, she worked as a substitute for a few years. She primarily worked only with the English section so she could get a better grasp of the teaching experience. During this time, she tried her hardest to create a closer bond with the students of the classes she substituted for. She also experienced many different levels of English classes. She taught classes from foundations to AP and this helped her to work with students of all levels.

 

                                                      Personal Life

Ms. Russell has a very interesting personal life shaped by her interests. From a young age, she was very interested in the theatre program, and often tried to join as many plays as she could. Another big interest she has is the constituent country of Scotland. She took a trip to Scotland, and mentioned how life-changing it seemed. She stated how it reminds her a lot of home, but has a centuries-old history. Through visiting Scotland, she was able to see some real places that stories were based on, and get a better understanding of the stories she was reading and teaching. Through these experiences, she was able to make herself a better person, and really shape her interests in a better way.

 

Overall, Ms. Russell is a very interesting teacher and a very nice person to be working at West. From her time being a student at West, to being a teacher at West, she has been an amazing and inspirational person. From always teaching new classes, she has proven to be a well rounded and flexible individual. Her passion for theatre has helped her become a better teacher, and better person. No matter what instance you meet her, Ms. Russell is always a very cordial individual.