Claire James
Arlington Middle School
Mrs. James has wanted to be a teacher her whole life. Her parents were teachers and she has also been impacted by teachers in her life. “Both of my parents were teachers, they’re now retired, and it’s just in my blood. Teaching is a part of who I am. I’ve also had some incredible teachers in my life that inspired me to want to become a teacher as well and to impact student lives.”
ACS cares deeply for all of the faculty and staff as well as the students. Mrs. James made note of this as she is felt an overwhelming amount of appreciation and love from the community. “My favorite thing about ACS is the real feel of community and the love they have for their teachers. This is not the case everywhere and in my first few days of being a part of this system, it was clear to see that ACS really does have its teachers, and of course its students, best interest in mind.”
Mrs. James, like many teachers here at Arlington Community Schools, cares deeply for her students. She enjoys building relationships with all of her students and building a safe environment for her kids to learn in. “I strive to build those relationships just by talking to them. I try to find out their interests and we connect that way, and simply through thingslike class discussions helps to open the doors to building a classroom community as well. I try to break down any walls they have up from previous school experiences to let them know that I care for them.”
Having an impact on your students is always a goal, when we grow older we will look back the teachers that had a positive impact on our lives and made those early alarms just a little bit easier. Mrs. James always strives to have that impact on her students and help them grow and be successful. “If they leave my class feeling that their teacher cared about them, that they developed skills and changed their mindset to know that with a little work they can do anything, then to me, that would make me even more of a success.”
Mrs. James favorite thing about teaching is there is always something new. There is always a new adventure everyday at school. “With each day, each class, there is a new opportunity; to help a student reach their potential, to engage in fun discussions, to see a student come to enjoy history/learning, and so much more. The summers off is pretty great too.”