By KENDRA BURDICK

Alexandria Driscoll is a new teacher to Redlands East Valley High School staff. Driscoll teaches Special Education English and tries to make a colourful and inspiring learning environment for her students. Driscoll answers some questions about herself and her career below. 

Why did you choose this course to teach?

I teach special ed and this was the opening that was here. My background is a little more in science but I thought that it’d be fun and I liked English a lot when I took it as a student.

Did you teach at any other schools before REV?

I taught at a school called Shandin Hills in San Bernardino. It’s a middle school and I taught science there.

 Why did you choose to teach at REV

I really wanted to be closer to home and closer to my daughter. I figured it was a good transition because I only live five minutes from here. I went to school in Redlands and I liked it a lot, so I thought it would be a good place to work.

 Why did you choose to become a teacher?

So, originally I studied child development and I liked it a lot. I liked learning how children grow and develop and it kind of got me into the whole ‘how children learn’ and so I was really interested in that. When I graduated from grad school, my friend and I were like “what should we do next” we didn’t really know. So, I kind of dragged her along with me to a credential program with me at the University of Redlands. We really liked it and honestly I’d say that my friend and I influenced each other and with the background in child development it was really easy to transition. 

If you could have been anything other than a teacher, what would you be?

Growing up, I really wanted to be a veterinarian at the zoo. But, that takes a lot of school. Science was not my strong suit growing up and definitely not going to the medical field. But if I could go back in time, I would just be taking care of a baby koala, just feeding it with a bottle.

What’s something that’s important to you?

I would say teaching in a way that’s inclusive for my students and making sure that they’re comfortable here and they feel like they’re represented. That’s my main goal here, even before I start teaching I make sure that this is a comfortable environment for them and that they feel when they’re here they won’t be judged. That they’re comfortable to discuss things here. That’s my main goal—to have inclusion in my classroom.

What’s something that you would like to tell students?

One, mainly for my students, is to not to give up because that’s life and it’s going to be really hard. If you give up the second there’s a struggle, you’re not going to, I think, make it in this world. I’d say, if you’re struggling and it’s hard just kind of push through the best that you can.

What school did you go to?

I started at RCC in Riverside and I got a couple of associates there then I transferred to Cal State. I got a bachelor’s and I stayed there for grad school and then I got a master’s in child development. Then, I went to the U of R and I got my credential there. 

What’s the biggest thing that you welcome into your classroom?

Difference of opinions. I tell my students if you don’t agree with what I’m saying, let’s discuss it. I really welcome an open discussion and that healthy disagreement as far as if you disagree then let’s talk about it.

Who got you to where you are now?

Mainly me because it was a lot of work. My family, they’re very supportive. Both of my parents didn’t really go to college so they didn’t really know how to help me. They were always like “She’s gonna do what she’s gonna do so we’ll just support her.” I’d say that my dad is a really big supporter of me, even if he doesn’t understand fully he’ll always agree with what path I choose.