Ms. Valentine is brand-new to the teaching scene, last year being her first, and this year being her first at Mayo. She taught at Kellogg Middle School in the “School Within School” program, teaching English and social studies. This year she teaches speech and still teaches at Kellogg Middle School. As a result, she only has first hour here, and then she goes to her other job.
Her first year at Mayo has been wonderful so far. She feels very welcomed by all the staff. According to Ms. Valentine, “I feel like I have been accepted with open arms, I’m only here one hour in the day, but people still treat me as a valued member of the staff,” mentioning Mr. Parker. He is someone who has helped her a great deal, having taught speech in the past and helping her with her lesson plans. She has also greatly appreciated the office and attendance staff. They have helped her find her way around the school, get the year off to a smooth start, and welcome her to the Mayo staff family. Ms. Valentine also mentioned that her students have been excellent so far this year, and she really enjoys her speech class.
Ms. Valentine is currently going to school to get her masters degree in counseling, but she is unsure if she will continue teaching or become a school counselor instead. She currently has a bachelor’s degree in communication arts and literature from Winona State. She initially picked her major because of the literature side of it, as she is passionate about books and reading, but once she took classes that required speaking, such as debate, she realized the importance of public speaking. Her advice regarding public speaking? “No matter what job you have or where you go in life, it’s an important skill to have.”
In her free time, Ms. Valentine enjoys singing karaoke. One of her musical idols is Tom Petty, who recently passed away. Ms. Valentine has a commemorative tattoo in his honor. She also likes to participate in dance. She has not ever been in any big productions, but she has participated in several dance recitals. Her favorite place to sing karaoke at is Wellington’s Bar and Grill in Winona.
She loves her job because it provides her an opportunity to express her thoughts and expand her mind through reading and writing. She is also a single mother of two children. They’re seven (Sophia) and four (Eli). Her family is a very important part of her life outside of school, and she adores spending time with her relatives.
Some of her goals for the school year are to create lots of meaningful relationships with her new students and her co-workers at Mayo High School. Ms. Valentine hopes to be a good role model to her students. She wants people to feel comfortable enough to come and tell her their issues, and seek her out for advice. She wrapped up with this quote: “I want to be a person people like to tell good things to.”