Instructor Alyssa Shoemaker has an incredible story. She is a first-year teacher at West Ottawa, and she has made a huge impact on students and created deep bonds.
So why would she become a teacher, what made her want to help students. “I became a teacher to kinda give back what I needed. I wasn’t a good student for the majority of my schooling. Didn’t do my work, I didn’t try, and I hung out with kids I shouldn’t. I had a couple of teachers reel me in.”
She had teachers who really impacted her as a teenager, and it inspired her. “I want to do that for other kids, I wanna help them. I didn’t come from a good home, so I want to be in that safe space, someone people can rely on and know that I care; it’s not just the test grade, it’s genuine.”
“Miss Shoemaker is not only a teacher to me, she is a friend. Any time I need someone to talk to or need help with something she is there, and I’m so beyond thankful for her,” Frosh. Malaynee Levandoski said.
“I love relationships. I love building good quality connections with students, which helps me and them get through that school day. “