Today’s interview is with Mrs. Callaghan.

What do you teach here at Esperanza High School?

I teach mainly Language Arts so the majority of my classes are freshmen honors, then I have a ERWC senior class then I have a senior avid class as well.

Out of all the three classes, what is your favorite one to teach?

I like them all for different reasons. I enjoy teaching seniors in general a lot because I think it is fun to see people on the thrust hold of the beginning of their actual lives. On the flip side of that I like teaching freshmen because everything is new to them so you get to kind of teach them the culture of the school so I enjoy that as well.

Was there a reason or someone who influenced you to teach?

Yeah I have always been interested in teaching even when I was a little kid. I’ve always thought of being a teacher. I was that kid who put their stuffed animals out and pretended I was in class. I always thought I would teach elementary school and then I got to high school and I had 2 English teachers, Mr. Putnam and Mr. Wolf at El Dorado, they were just very good teachers and good people too. So they both helped me with stuff I was going through in high school and then I also learned a lot in the class too. If it wasn’t because of them, I don’t think I would be an English teacher.

What other career were you considering?

Nothing really, there was a brief time when I wanted to own a pottery studio. I thought that would be cool. I was into performing and stuff so I thought maybe an actor but that is a tough life so I have always been interested in teaching. I think it is kind of trite to say but it’s true. I think teaching if you really love it is a calling.

What did you do to become a teacher?

When your a teacher you either have a multiple subject credential which means for elementary school you can teach all kinds of subjects but for high school you have a single subject credential so I can only teach english to get that I had to be an english major and then after that you do a teaching credential program so that was a year so you learn how to be a teacher while student teaching and then not required I went back to get my masters for teaching too.

How many years did it take?

Well my undergrad, just my bachelors in art took five, teaching credential a year, and my masters took two so about 8 years. But to become a teacher only five if you’re on it.

Why did you choose Esperanza?

I did my student teaching here. I grew up around here. I went to El Dorado so I’m a creature of habit. At the end of the day I like the familiarity of when I started student teaching here. I really just enjoyed it and I was lucky enough to get an interview here pretty early on and get hired here.

Being a former journalism teacher would you ever do it again?

Yes I loved it. I really enjoyed doing journalism and newspapering just with having a little one at home. It is just too much. I waited a little too long to have kids so when I had her I wanted to soak in all that stuff. Maybe in the future if Mr. Perez isn’t interested and if my kid is a little older I can see myself going back into it again.

What would you tell the students?

I think one of the thing I wished I would’ve known in high school that could have helped me throughout my life is just that sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan, I am a very type A person I like having structure and I set a goal and I happens but life gives you circumstances and sometimes you can make a plan but plans change, be flexible and be opened to possibilities because there’s lots of things I thought I wanted and worked hard to get and I didn’t get but in the grand scheme of things I was like that was a blessing in the end. I would say have a plan but life has different ideas sometimes and it’s OK.