Eileen Becker-Hoover has been teaching at Bethany for 33 years. I had Eileen my freshman year, where she helped me improve my writing skills and took time out of her day to help me study. Because of her, I am confident in my writing and have done better in my high school English classes than I ever thought I would. She has also been my mentor for my sophomore and senior years, and I have loved getting to know her over the years. I know Eileen as a fun and caring person. She truly and deeply cares about all of her students and wants to see them succeed. As a mentor, I have found that I can talk with Eileen about almost everything. She loves helping kids find solutions to problems, both in school and out. When I found out that Eileen was retiring, I was sad that my sisters would never have the opportunity to have her as a teacher. However after interviewing her, I know that she is excited about what’s ahead of her, and I’m excited for her. Below are a few highlights from my interview with her.
Q: How long have you been at Bethany?
A: I have been here for 33 years, but I started in 1979 almost 40 years ago. I was gone a year when AnnaMarie was born, then took a second break for Sara’s birth and our move to Poland for 3 years. I came back in 1990.
Q: What kinds of changes have you witnessed during your time here?
A: Class size has decreased. There was a waiting line at 50 freshman and 65 sophomores when I first started, and I think the junior and senior classes were at 75-80 students. Today we have a lot more diversity in the school which is a good thing.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of teaching?
A: Coaching individual students and helping them to become better writers.
Q: What are you going to be doing with your retirement?
A: Next year will be like a sabbatical; a time to think about a new direction. It will be strange not seeing the 9th and 10th graders growing up. I hope to keep coming to school events.
Q: What advice would you give to students?
A: Learn everything you can. You don’t want to reach a point in your life where you miss an opportunity because you didn’t do something in high school. Having new ways to teach and learn is partly why I enjoyed teaching for so long.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring teachers?
A: Have an opinion. Teachers who have opinions have engaging classes.
Q: What was your favorite moment of teaching?
A: Teaching how to expressively read texts. Watching students gain confidence and a voice was really cool.
Q: What do you wish more people understood about teaching?
A: It’s a skill that you learn and it’s also a passion. Teachers care about their subject and their kids.
Q: Do you remember any extraordinary students? What characteristics made them extraordinary?
A: I recall where a few particular students sat in the classroom. They were extraordinary because they were so focused on learning. They didn’t ask about their grades, but they asked about ideas. For 9th and 10th graders to talk about literature that way shows ambition and an inquisitive mind. They are leaders today.
Q: How has school changed from when you were a student?
A: There’s a lot more information available today. When I was a student we were limited to sources like textbooks, the library, and storytelling. But we did have a lot more free time and home life.
Q: What was the most satisfying thing about teaching?
A: Watching students learn to love poetry.
Q: What was the biggest challenge in teaching?
A: Returning to the classroom after 3 years in Poland. I still thought in Polish and had trouble thinking of how to express English literature ideas using English vocabulary.
Q: What was the most important thing you learned from your overall teaching experience?
A: It’s much easier to teach a student you have a relationship with.
Q: Why did you decide to work at a Christian school?
A: There was a job here and I was accepted. I took the opportunity that was provided. Teaching is a part of who my family is. I went to a Christian elementary school and grew up learning about faith in home, church and school. It was just natural. The idea that faith and life aren’t separated is important.
Q: Are there any specific moments, good or bad, that stick out to you from your years of teaching?
A: At a faculty meeting in the early 90’s, I remember saying once “I hope someday there will be technology that lets me communicate with all parents at the same time.”
Q: Finally, is there anything else you would like to add?
A: I’ll miss students. I’ll miss singing in chapel and being proud of my students at games and concerts and in theater. I will miss the environment of having colleagues who are friends. But I’m glad I’m retiring and I’m looking forward to the future. I would like to learn Spanish; I’ve thought of going to Guatemala and doing a Spanish immersion. There’s a lot of things I’d like to learn. I want to stay connected with young people somehow.