For this week’s Hornet Spotlight, we interviewed Mrs. Fitzgerald, a 6th-grade ELA teacher here at Eureka Middle School! We asked her some fun and interesting questions, and here is what she had to say:
The first question we asked was, “What made you make the transition from Washington to Eureka?” She responded, “I used to work with Mrs. Hoffman, and she encouraged me to join her here at EMS, so I decided to go for it!”
Next, we asked, “How does 6th-grade ELA compare to 8th-grade ELA?” She said, “They are definitely very different. 8th-grade ELA involves a lot more writing and critical thinking skills.”
We then asked, “Why did you decide to teach ELA?” She replied, “I have always loved to read and write, so it was a natural choice for me.”
Our next question was, “What is your favorite cartoon character, and how long have they been your favorite?” She said, “I love Snoopy and have loved the Peanuts characters and stories since I was a little kid.”
We asked, “Do you like your students more in 8th or 6th grade?” Laughing, she responded, “That sounds like a trick question! Of course I love them all the same.”
Then we asked, “What is your favorite food and why?” She said, “I really like Mexican food because it has a lot of flavor and you can get it spicy, and I love spicy food.”
Next, we asked, “Do you like teaching grammar or literature more?” She replied, “I like doing both, but I think I like grammar better because I enjoy reading people’s stories and seeing the progression in their writing ability.”
We asked her about her summer. She said, “I spent a lot of time outside working on our landscaping and garden, and I swam in the pool. I also spent a lot of time with my kids and extended family. We went to the Lake of the Ozarks a couple of times for vacation to go boating, tubing, and swimming.”
We then asked, “Do you miss teaching 8th grade, and if so, why?” She said, “I do miss teaching 8th grade. I loved how those students were mature (sometimes!), sarcastic, and a challenge to get to know, but we had so much fun!”
Next, we asked, “What is your favorite color, and how long has it been your favorite?” She said, “My favorite color is green, and it has been my favorite for probably twenty years. When I was a kid, my favorite color was pink.”
We asked, “What is your favorite thing that you teach and why?” She said, “I really like teaching stories and discussing them with the class. I love hearing everyone’s thoughts and perspectives.”
Next, we asked, “What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?” She replied, “I really love reading because it is relaxing, and I can go into the world of the story and imagine everything so clearly. I can really get into the characters and their world.”
We asked, “If you were to teach any other subject, what would it be?” She said, “I would love to teach Social Studies. I think it would be really fun to teach history and all the interesting people from each time period. I also think PE would be fun and different.”
We asked, “What would your final meal be and why?” She said, “I would definitely choose a citrus salmon recipe with a fresh salad. It is really full of flavor. I would also choose a big slice of chocolate cake with a ton of chocolate frosting.”
Finally, we asked, “Did you play any sports in school?” She responded, “In high school, I ran cross country and track. In junior high, I did softball, volleyball, and track.”
We hope you learned more about Mrs. Fitzgerald because we sure did!
