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Hi, so you’re Miss Lee, and what classes do you teach here?

I’m doing Intro to Algebra 1 right now, and I’m doing Geometry, and then I also have a learning lab. So I’m doing 9-12 grade.

Have you taught here or at another school before?

I’ve taught at Massapequa before. This is my first year here.

How do you feel about working here, in Babylon, because I know it could probably feel different, as it’s a lot smaller than other schools?

It’s funny, the first week of school I went home saying it’s one of those places where you want to do things with the community. You know, you want to be a part of it. You want to be more than just a teacher. You want to coach and do clubs and things like that because it really is such a close-knit community, and I love it.

Are you involved in any of the clubs this year?

I am thinking that I’m doing lacrosse, I don’t have the team yet or anything, and it’s not yet official, but there are things in the works, yes.

Where did you first get attracted to teaching, like when did you decide, like, ‘I want to be a math teacher’?

I played lacrosse in high school and we were coaching the younger grades on our varsity team. So I loved seeing the light go off in the kids that I worked with through coaching, and then I went to a school that was really, teaching was a huge major, so I kind of went with that path and that took me here.

Where did you go to college?          

Geneseo. It’s upstate, and now I’m doing my master’s at Niagara University, which is also upstate, but I’m getting it virtually.

Can you tell me your least favorite or your most favorite thing about being a teacher?

My most favorite is getting to know the individual students on a better basis, I think that the people that you work with, it’s like the best job in the world. Least favorite, is hearing some things that are going on outside of school, in your students’ lives, that you can’t control and you want to protect and help them, and can’t be there for them. So that, in all aspects, is my least favorite part but I love being there for my students.

So you would say that there’s an emotional aspect to learning too, that that is important.

Completely. Completely.

What were you like in high school?

It’s funny – I told all my classes this on the first day – I cried every day of math in 7^th grade, because I hated it. So looking back, it kind of makes sense that I’m a math teacher now, because I never want that experience for anyone else. But I’m very organized, I always have been, and I always have played sports and tried to make my schedule as packed as possible. In high school it was the same thing – I was playing sports and trying to get through classes doing the best I could.

How do you work with both kids who don’t like math and those that do in your classes, meeting everyone’s needs?

You just have to plan different activities. I like doing different games and things like that, so that everyone is more engaged, and then you just show different ways that you can do things. There are like puzzles you can create for yourself to make it kind of challenging, just trying to have the ‘a-ha’ moment for all the kids, even if they don’t like math.

What advice would you have for students who are looking to have a career in your fields, math and/or teaching?

I would say, just don’t give up. College hits you pretty hard because it’s just so different from high school. It really is. There’s just so much more work, and you’re kind of left on your own, in every aspect of it. So just not giving up and persevering through the initial shock of that, whatever the major may be, because it really is so worthwhile at the end of it.

How would you spend a day off?

A day off. It’s funny, my kids always make fun of me, but I love hiking, and I love going to the beach, being outdoors and stuff. So probably walking the beach or finding a new hiking spot is like my favorite thing. I also love going to the gym and stuff like that, too.

So you’re more of an outdoors person?

Yes.

What’s your favorite hobby?

I would say either hiking or baking. Let’s say baking. I do love baking.

What do you like to bake?

I make chocolate chip cookies from scratch that are pretty good.

Those sound delicious!

Yeah, they’re really good.

Would you rather have something flavored chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate.

Which do you like better? A dog or a cat?

Dog.

Sneakers or tennis shoes? Like, which one do you say?

Sneakers.

Starbucks or Dunkin’?

Starbucks.

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird.

Leader or follower?

I guess leader.

Outdoors or indoors?

Outdoors.

Mountains or beaches?

Beaches.

Card game or board game?

Cards. I have a pack of cards in my bag, just like wherever I go.

So you can set up an impromptu card game!

You never know! You never know when you’ll need a good card game.

Would you rather have popcorn or candy when you go to the movies?

Popcorn.

Are you a spring/fall person or a winter/summer person?

Winter/summer.

Grilled cheese vs. tomato soup?

Grilled cheese. Grilled cheese all the way.

Is there anything else that you feel that students should know about you, or anything you hoped that I would ask but didn’t?

Hmmm. No, but if I think of something, I will email you in the next day.

Thank you for sitting down for this interview!

Of course, anytime.

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