Stirring something up. Finnegan is at her stove top in her classroom. Finnegan was a substitute last year for cooking class, so she knows how to do most tasks already.
Misty Finnegan
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve been given about teaching?
A: The best advice would be to take one day at a time and to let go what happened one day and start over fresh the next day.
Q: What made you choose to teach at AAHS?
A: Well, I was actually here last year as a long term substitute teacher in the same position. So this year I started the position when it became available, and I started as the full time teacher.
Q: When was the moment you realized you wanted to be a teacher?
A: Just last year, when we started cooking and stuff in here in my classes, and you know, the students really enjoyed that. I could see that they were happy when they were learning something new and engaged in that.
Q:What is your favorite part of teaching so far? Why?
A: Just getting to see that the kids are learning. Learning things that they hadn’t learned before and they’re engaged in there. They’re really happy about learning something new.
Q: Who inspired you to become a teacher?
A: Probably my students, honestly.
Q: What college did you go to?
A: I’m actually in college right now to finish my teaching certificate. But I’m at Messiah University. My initial college I went to was Hank College of Williamsport.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: I love to spend time with my family. I love to crochet, knit, cook and watch my kids in all their sporting events.
Q: Why did you choose the subject that you are teaching?
A: Because I love the subjects that I teach, and I feel like you have to be passionate about what you teach. And I love to teach cooking and all those kinds of things.
Q: As a student, I know I tend to get nervous for the first weeks of school. As a teacher in a new school, do you feel that sense of nervousness you once felt as a student?
A: I was pretty nervous as well because I didn’t know what to expect, but I did know what to expect because I was here last year. I did have a little bit of experience, as far as you know what to expect. But I was nervous. I was definitely nervous. I mean, because it’s just you never know. Everyone’s different. There’s different classes each year.
Q: Is there something you would want to do during your teaching career? Ex: coaching a sport, head of a club etc.
A: Possibly, I haven’t really thought about it at this point. But possibly down the road, I do love crocheting and knitting and there’s actually been several students that have asked me about it. So maybe something like that kind of a club.