Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Hall.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story starts in Moscow, Russia, where I was for a short time before being adopted and brought to the states. While I may not have been born in TX, I was surely raised here in DFW. It was a great place to grow up, and I’m often reminded that I am so thankful to be here whenever I think about all the different directions my life could have taken.
My educational journey had a huge effect on my life. I grew up predominately going to private schools, but ended up as a teacher in the public school system. I’ve learned from both sides of the school system that some places are incredible at fostering learning, growth, and confidence while others can have the opposite effect. When I grew up, I was exposed to both ends of this spectrum in both public and private school environments. Middle school specifically was a time where I was in an environment where my education was very negatively impacted, leaving me with low confidence, little interests, and feelings of bitterness. I believe a big factor in why I ended up as a teacher is because I wanted to ensure that any kids under my care didn’t have the same experience I had. That experience created the core values I have in my classroom today, which include being reasonable and logical, presenting information in a high quality way, and having high expectations so that any kid can rise to the occasion.
I’m happy to say that there was a light at the end of the educational tunnel for me! I went from failing classes in high-school and having few hobbies to graduating magna cum laude in college and developing a wide array of hobbies and interests! I play the piano and guitar, do photography and videography, have written two children’s books, enjoy rock climbing, am becoming more well traveled, and have recently been learning the art of cooking! I even recently started a youtube channel geared towards the background ambience space that puts some of my media skills acquired in college to work. I successfully career switched, a leap of faith that was extremely scary but fantastically rewarding!
I’ve always considered myself a late bloomer, something I used to feel a weird shame around. Now, I look at it as a blessing. I like to compare it to something like an aged wine, something that gets better because of the time it takes, not in spite of it. Even though I may have taken longer to bloom, I bloomed more beautifully because of it. Like anyone, I still don’t know what the future holds, but I am much more confident and at peace as I go into it!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say the road was smooth, but that certainly doesn’t mean it was bad! The more detours you take the more you see, and the more you see, the more perspectives you gain. I’m still quite young, but I have had many jobs, and at one point 3 jobs at once. I have worked as a waitress several times, at a car wash, been in retail, a cast member at Disney world, was a swim instructor for babies, worked as a substitute teacher, was a do everything person at a locksmith company, and was a production coordinator in the marketing industry all before landing here. I’m particularly thankful for the perspective I gained through not taking a direct path. When you are soaking wet and shivering cold while picking up trash off a swim school bathroom floor the morning after staying up until 1:00 AM waiting tables and cleaning a restaurant, you learn that you are above no one and nothing. I could have magically become a CEO the next day and would have still valued what I learned from my many random and non glamorous jobs above all else.
Even though I am currently a teacher, it was not what I went to school for. I had briefly thought about it when looking at what I wanted to do with my life, but as many people are, I was talked out of it. Many people, including those who have been teachers themselves, will advise against the profession. They will urge you to do something else that pays more, receives more respect, is valued more highly, and allows you to avoid a struggling system. There are elements of truth to many of the claims, and they come from a protective place. This persuasion lead me to go to school for advertising and marketing where I learned that working in the marketing industry was nothing like school. I loved learning in college. That was when I was learning how to use advanced design programs, photography, videography, and editing platforms. I was writing, making presentations, and creating all the time! That was not my experience when I got jobs in the industry. Granted, I worked in marketing only in entry level jobs and during a pandemic. It wasn’t the a full experience of what marketing and advertising has to offer, it was simply my limited experience. Still, as I looked around and up at the people whose jobs I was supposed to want one day, I knew that what I was doing was not for me. I was laid off twice during the Covid 19 pandemic. Eventually, while miserably sorting through job applications I finally decided that I would not apply for marketing jobs any more. I would get halfway through and application, stop, and audibly mutter to myself, “I don’t want to do this…”
Cue the next two years where I at one point worked 3 jobs at once, accidentally went viral on Tik Tok, got a paraprofessional job teaching PE that paid so low I frequently ran out of money, and ultimately became alternately certified to become a elementary classroom teacher. It’s safe to say there were definitely people that were confused and questioning what in the world I was doing – but in spite of my fear, the support from my family and friends that believed in me gave me the courage to make such a change.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My start to classroom teaching is unique because I did not want to be a classroom teacher. When I got into education, I really wanted to be a PE teacher. I started as a PE paraprofessional, but paras get paid barely anything and PE jobs are hard to find. Rubber met the road and I knew I could not keep over-drafting my bank account and completely slashing through my savings to stay in PE. I loved the school I was at, and one of the 4th grade teachers unexpectedly decided not to return for the next school year. On a whim, I applied, not even having all the credentials I needed for the classroom route. The principal and teaching team took a chance on me, trusting I would get all the certifications in time. That’s how I ended up in the classroom without a clue what I was doing or talking about. But I worked harder than I’ve ever worked in my life during that first year teaching to make sure I learned the ropes, strengthened my teaching skills, and didn’t fail the kids. I cried a lot in the first 9 weeks, but that’s a new teachers normal!
My pathway to the classroom sets me apart because my marketing and design skills ended up being integral to my teaching success. Despite being one of the youngest teachers at my school, I have been quite high performing. All my design skills came in handy when making slides to present new concepts to the kids. I truly believe that strong, functional, and aesthetically pleasing visuals help the kids pay attention more, and therefore, they learn more. I often joke with my coworkers that I can make a slides presentation with my eyes closed. The other teachers send their students to me for technical issues because I’m the “young one.”
I also think my class management mindset sets me apart. I don’t know if it’s my age or my personality, but I have done really well in managing behavior, which also helps in academic success. I really don’t operate with a, “you will listen to me because I’m the adult” kind of mindset. I was never the kind of kid that understood statements like, “because I told you so!” I truly believe if you you are a teacher that shows knowledge in your content area, are reasonable, have confidence, respect for kids, and use logical consequences, you will earn kids respect back, and they will work ten times harder for you. You can avoid this uphill battle with behavior and create an environment where you and your students actually like each other! Last year, our PTA voted for me to receive the “Friend to Children” award. It was very affirming to see that my style was not only successful from an academic data standpoint, but it was also being appreciated by the parents. It feels amazing to hear a parent say, “I have never seen this much reading growth until this year,” or a kid say, “I used to hate reading, but I love your class!”
It goes a long way to be human with them. I love showing them my photography, my drone videos, and pictures of my cat. I talk about my cooking, rock climbing, and hobbies. I play the piano for my classes every year during their music class. I strive all the time to make sure their experience at school is better than mine was.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Whenever I’m new to anything, I’ve found myself saying that I never know what I need until I’m in the middle of needing it really bad, right now. The best advice I got my first year teaching was from our art teacher. She said that first year teaching is like juggling. Some of the balls are made of glass, and others are made of less breakable materials. Keep the glass in the air and do your best with the rest. In the midst of feeling like I could never become great at any given responsibility, that really helped me prioritize and feel less overwhelmed with it all. I also knew that I needed to have grace for others, but most of all myself. I couldn’t be everything for everyone. I was never going to be a master at teaching, a therapist, a tech support professional, learning needs expert, and all the other things that come with teaching all at once. Other coworkers, family, and friends you can vent to, rely on, and learn from will make all the difference.
So my advice would be this. Keep the glass in the air, have grace, and don’t do it alone. Learn the art of letting go of the things you can not control, don’t take 10 years to realize that work life balance should be a priority, and do the best you can with the reassurance that you will get so much better with time, effort, and experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarahmarina.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_marina_h/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhall97
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@Upper_Lesson_Lab
