Today, I interviewed one of our ninth and tenth-grade AICE English General Papers teachers, the lovely Amanda Tague, or as her students call her, Ms. Tague.

Part of her inspiration for becoming a teacher came from her mother, who works in the Media Center here at Santaluces and has taught for 35 years; she is admired for her work ethic and always wanting to help the children she works with. Other people who have inspired her to teach English have been her middle school language arts teachers, like Ms. Schroader, one of our 11th and 12th grade English teachers, and Ms. Moe, who you can always find in the library. Ms. Tague stated, “All of my middle school English teachers were amazing and they all poured into me and my classmates. In sixth grade, Ms. Schroader was the most energetic and fun teacher, with specific, great, and helpful feedback. We went through tragic events at school, and she was there to support me. Mr. Grunow was a teacher that everybody wanted. He made reading and learning very fun, even for students who didn’t read books. Of course, Ms. Moe was someone we could always lean on. I never felt overwhelmed in her class, and we would learn without knowing it.”

As for Ms. Tague’s daily routine, at 5:45 a.m., Ms. Tague gets ready for her work day doing usual things like brushing her teeth and applying her everyday makeup, followed by waking up her two children, William and Lilia. In fact, little Will joins Ms. Tague here on the Santaluces campus as a part of the Little Chiefs. She shared that her ride there is one of the most enjoyable moments of her day: “He’ll ask me random questions about everything, and we’ll look for the moon if it’s still up. I enjoy seeing his personality start to develop the more we spend these moments together.” Ms. Tague will typically have her breakfast bar on the go. She stated, “Every morning without fail, Will asks me for a piece of my bar.”

After observing her classes, she adjusts how she teaches according to the students, a skill I admire. One of her ninth-grade students from her fifth hour, Bailey Schulze, shared, “I like this class because of Ms. Tague and how she teaches. I feel like my writing skills are improving because of her feedback and the way she pushes our creativity in our writing.” With two planning periods full of running errands, meetings with other teachers, and tons of grading, she still finds time to catch up with former students who still appreciate her. But what’s her most hardworking class out of the five? Ms. Tague said, “It is definitely a tie between my third and fifth hour.”

To end her school day, she ensures she has all her class assignments posted, and her agenda is ready for another school day tomorrow. She said, “I can’t wait to see my kids when I return home. They motivate me to push through when I’m having long days.” Then, around 3:30 p.m., she picks Will up from Little Chiefs and heads home to her husband and daughter. She ends her day at home with a nice shower and an excellent book (maybe some online shopping).

Some interesting facts about Ms. Tague are where she attended school. Ms. Tague attended Lake Worth High School, and for her undergraduate, she went to Warner University for a bachelor’s in communication. For her graduate degree in public administration, she attended Nova Southeastern University. Santaluces High School is the first and only place she ever taught, starting in 2017. Fun Fact: It was the same year she married.

What is something she provides to her students? Ms. Tague responded, “I feel like for some students who may feel overwhelmed mainly because this is an AICE course and it is accelerated, they can come here, and they’ll be understood and trust that they can tell me if they are struggling. I can teach them how to write a five-paragraph essay or other life skills like communication.”

What is her favorite thing about teaching? She shared. “I gotta be honest. I love having the summers off because of the extra time with my kids that I wouldn’t get with traditional jobs. But when a kid comes back and says thank you for something, whether it’s an email or a hug. Even if you made their lives just a little bit better or they learned something from you, that makes it all worth it.”

Ms. Tague is a teacher I have held dear since last school year, and she has provided me with excellent advice in and outside the classroom. My writing and teamwork skills have improved because of her lessons. I appreciate how she takes her time in getting to know her students and provides an uplifting mood to learning in her classroom. One of her past students, Alexandre Denis, recommended writing about this topic as giving a small perspective into one of our most appreciated teacher’s lives. We both believe this year’s new Freshmen are in good hands and will surely pass their AICE exam!