Ms. Wood has recently joined the CHS staff as the In School Behavioral Intervention teacher this school year.
After graduating from CHS in 2017, Ms. Wood is studying at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC). She studied Early Childhood Education for two years, then switched to General Education recently. After switching her major, she decided it was time for a change and applied to work at CHS. Before working at CHS, Ms. Wood worked at the International School, Bright Beginnings, and other preschools around the area.
She is close in age to many high school students, which makes it easier to connect and communicate with students because she knows their struggles. “When you come to high school, especially as a freshman, it can be a bit overwhelming just being in an area where everyone is older than you, or everyone is already set in their ways and following all these rules. I think kids kind of seem to relax a little bit when they speak with someone who is a little bit closer to their age… My ears may be a little bit more open than past generations.”
Since she was a little girl, Ms. Wood always wanted to be a teacher. “I guess it didn’t reach out to me until I saw a position that I could possibly obtain. I think it was just destiny honestly.” One of Ms. Wood’s biggest inspirations to become a teacher was Ms. Horn. “There were days where I was having a rough morning or just having a rough time at school in general, and I would come to her room and she would just be so happy you wouldn’t even register the things you had going on, at least for that 45 minute period. If I could have that effect on kids I think that would be cool.”
When Ms. Wood changed her major, she switched from a 16-credit course to a 60-credit course, and only one of Ms. Wood’s credits was transferred over. “My plate went from half full to overflowing,” said Ms. Wood. However Ms. Wood still finds a way to finish her school work and help her students. She says because she is studying many different subjects, she can be a tutor for students, helping them with their homework. “The teaching part, I’m not going to say it’s easy, but it’s something I’ve really always wanted to be.”
Ms. Wood may be a new teacher, but she is aspiring to do big things. She plans to move from Charlottesville to a different area to learn about the education system in other places. Ms. Wood intends to make a positive impact on all her students because she knows the struggles students face. She wants to be what her teachers were for her, someone who listens and cares. She knows there are lots of changes to come, but she is ready for it all.
“I really think this is where my heart is.”
