Ms. Harris is a new math teacher here in Manville High School. She teaches 9th-grade Algebra I, as well as two ESL classes: Algebra I and Newcomers Math. She has had a good experience so far with this school and especially loves the community environment it presents. She mentions that the population of students in MHS is about four times less than that of the high school she attended. Throughout her time in MHS, she has realized that a smaller school allows for the development of deeper student-teacher bonds.

After high school, Ms. Harris attended the University of Delaware to study psychology and criminal justice. She reflects, “Clearly, when I started college I did not have being a math teacher in mind, but I also do not think I had any idea what I really wanted to do yet.” After attending UD, she transferred to Montclair State University and became a math teacher.

An interesting fact about her is that before college she wanted to be a singer or actress. She genuinely thought she would make a life out of this, however, she acknowledged that she had a desire to give back to the world and ultimately considered, in her perspective, that her career wouldn’t be of help to the actual world. Another fact about Ms. Harris is that a poem she wrote was once published in a book.

In essence, Ms. Harris portrays herself as a fun and diverse person. Her goal as a teacher is to encourage her students to grow. “I believe every student comes here not only to learn academic subjects but to learn how to socialize and behave in the real world. You learn about yourself and what your interests are. But most importantly, you make mistakes. It is so important to me that I am there when students do make those mistakes and help them correct/overcome these mistakes.”

Ms. Harris is planning to be even more involved with MHS in the upcoming school years. She will be starting a new club next year, but it’s still a secret! By doing so, she will immerse herself deeper into Manville’s high school and community.