Valley Heights teacher retiring after 35 years
Valley Heights Christian Academy Math Teacher Joan Brooks is retiring from teaching after 35 years at the school. (Photo by Sarah Genter)
NORWICH — The Valley Heights Christian Academy (VHCA), located at 75 Calvary Drive in Norwich, is saying goodbye to Math Teacher Joan Brooks after her 35-year career at the school.
"My 7th grade math teacher ... he said I had a knack for math and understanding and helping others, so that kind of sparked my interest. So I knew since 7th grade I wanted to be a math teacher," said Brooks. "I went to college, got my degree. I didn’t plan on teaching here, I wanted to go to a public school. But they needed somebody and they hired me, and this is where I’ve stayed."
Throughout her career, Brooks has been deeply involved in academics and extracurriculars at VHCA. She said she teaches grades 7 through 12, and in her time at VHCA she has taught algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, accounting, business math, calculus, consumer math, advanced math, US history, geography, New York State history, biology, chemistry, earth science, English, computer, and Bible classes.
She has also run the school's yearbook group, and for several years was a senior class advisor and helped to plan the annual senior trip.
Additionally, Brooks has played a big role in fundraising at the school, which helps to keep tuition costs down. Annually, some of fundraisers include chicken barbecues; lunches and dinners; sales of candy bars, wreaths, popcorn, candles, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts; as well as an annual walk-a-thon, which Brooks said they're preparing for now.
"In a couple weeks we have a walk-a-thon, where the kids walk around the fairgrounds and see how many laps, and raise money. That’s usually one of our bigger ones. We’re getting all geared up for that," she said. "They go down and they race, they talk, they walk. One record was set in like 2004 for 40 laps by a student, and we have a student this year who is bound and determined to beat it, so we’ll see if it happens."
Working with her students is Brooks' favorite part of the job, especially when a student has an "aha" moment with a difficult concept.
"I like to see when they have a hard time getting a concept and all of a sudden it clicks, and their excitement," she said. "I like to see the lightbulb moments."
Brooks said because the school is small, the staff is able to form closer connections with the students than they would be able to at a larger institution. This close-knit community atmosphere has led to some cherished memories over the years for Brooks.
"One of the special moments is the first year when I was pregnant with my first child and the students threw me a baby shower for my first child, without me knowing. I thought that was kind of special," she said.
"When I got married all my students came to my wedding. Just about all of them. When we taped the wedding, there were two girls that were serving punch at the wedding, and the person on the tape said, ‘oh, you’re serving punch so you can get an A in math class?’ And they were like, ‘no, we already have As!' So that was kind of an interesting concept that the kids just stepped in and helped just because they wanted to, not that they were asked."
Brooks' students have also shown the impact she's had on them by selecting her eight times for the Scholar Recognition Award, and in January Brooks was named the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction after being nominated by a student.
The NSHSS recognizes educators "whose passion and devotion inspire their students to grow and develop as scholars, leaders, and citizens," and they selected Brooks due to her "outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the profession."
Preparing to retire from teaching after 35 years is bittersweet for Brooks, who said she's excited to see what the future brings, but also sad to say goodbye to her VHCA family.
"It’s hard at times. I’m excited to see what God has in place for me, where I’m going to go. But there’s days I’m like, oh, is this what I want? I’m going to miss it," said Brooks. "I got married while teaching, I’ve had four kids, I’ve had two graduate from here. My whole life has been a part of this building, or a part of the people here. So it is very bittersweet."
"My 7th grade math teacher ... he said I had a knack for math and understanding and helping others, so that kind of sparked my interest. So I knew since 7th grade I wanted to be a math teacher," said Brooks. "I went to college, got my degree. I didn’t plan on teaching here, I wanted to go to a public school. But they needed somebody and they hired me, and this is where I’ve stayed."
Throughout her career, Brooks has been deeply involved in academics and extracurriculars at VHCA. She said she teaches grades 7 through 12, and in her time at VHCA she has taught algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, accounting, business math, calculus, consumer math, advanced math, US history, geography, New York State history, biology, chemistry, earth science, English, computer, and Bible classes.
She has also run the school's yearbook group, and for several years was a senior class advisor and helped to plan the annual senior trip.
Additionally, Brooks has played a big role in fundraising at the school, which helps to keep tuition costs down. Annually, some of fundraisers include chicken barbecues; lunches and dinners; sales of candy bars, wreaths, popcorn, candles, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts; as well as an annual walk-a-thon, which Brooks said they're preparing for now.
"In a couple weeks we have a walk-a-thon, where the kids walk around the fairgrounds and see how many laps, and raise money. That’s usually one of our bigger ones. We’re getting all geared up for that," she said. "They go down and they race, they talk, they walk. One record was set in like 2004 for 40 laps by a student, and we have a student this year who is bound and determined to beat it, so we’ll see if it happens."
Working with her students is Brooks' favorite part of the job, especially when a student has an "aha" moment with a difficult concept.
"I like to see when they have a hard time getting a concept and all of a sudden it clicks, and their excitement," she said. "I like to see the lightbulb moments."
Brooks said because the school is small, the staff is able to form closer connections with the students than they would be able to at a larger institution. This close-knit community atmosphere has led to some cherished memories over the years for Brooks.
"One of the special moments is the first year when I was pregnant with my first child and the students threw me a baby shower for my first child, without me knowing. I thought that was kind of special," she said.
"When I got married all my students came to my wedding. Just about all of them. When we taped the wedding, there were two girls that were serving punch at the wedding, and the person on the tape said, ‘oh, you’re serving punch so you can get an A in math class?’ And they were like, ‘no, we already have As!' So that was kind of an interesting concept that the kids just stepped in and helped just because they wanted to, not that they were asked."
Brooks' students have also shown the impact she's had on them by selecting her eight times for the Scholar Recognition Award, and in January Brooks was named the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction after being nominated by a student.
The NSHSS recognizes educators "whose passion and devotion inspire their students to grow and develop as scholars, leaders, and citizens," and they selected Brooks due to her "outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the profession."
Preparing to retire from teaching after 35 years is bittersweet for Brooks, who said she's excited to see what the future brings, but also sad to say goodbye to her VHCA family.
"It’s hard at times. I’m excited to see what God has in place for me, where I’m going to go. But there’s days I’m like, oh, is this what I want? I’m going to miss it," said Brooks. "I got married while teaching, I’ve had four kids, I’ve had two graduate from here. My whole life has been a part of this building, or a part of the people here. So it is very bittersweet."
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks