English teacher Addison Lewellen is already loving the student environment at Carlmont after just a few weeks of school.
“The students have been great. They’ve been very welcoming. I love how willing they are to open up and share things about their lives with their classmates,” said Lewellen. “They are also funny and humorous.”
Even though this is her first year teaching freshman, she is excited for what is to come and she understands how they must feel coming into high school.
“I love how enthusiastic they are. It’s good to be around that much energy,” said Lewellen. “I think some of them are feeling like high school is a big transition but I also think that they’ll settle in quickly.”
With this in mind, freshman Gianna Lippi is already charmed by her teaching style.
“Compared to my other English teachers, Ms. Lewellen has a more subtle approach, but it’s effective. I think it’s going to be a fun year,” said Lippi.
Lewellen teaches AS English 1, English 1, and AVID at Carlmont. It is the first time she teaches AVID and she is really enjoying it.
She used to teach at Hillsdale High School and other schools around the Bay Area. At Carlmont, Lewellen is already comfortable with her surroundings, even though her classroom is near the construction site.
She said, “I am a big believer that you do the best you can with what you have so we’re figuring it out. We’ve been okay. It hasn’t been as loud as it could be.”
One of her students, freshman Adrian Harris, enjoys Lewellen’s class and loves how helpful she is.
“She uses the traditional aspects but also uses other fun activities that we can do to better understand [the material],” said Harris. “She also gave me some great advice and she is making it easier in English for me.”
Her co-workers have also been very welcoming and helpful.
“I’ve met a lot of teachers so far and they’ve been very kind and welcoming. Everyone is ready to collaborate which I really enjoy,” said Lewellen.
Not only does Lewellen enjoy teaching, but she also loves food, something many students can relate to.
“When I’m not at school, I love to cook. I love food in general. I like to eat food, I like to learn about food…” said Lewellen.
Lewellen loves to read as well. When Lewellen was a junior in high school, she had a great English teacher who showed her how literature can connect people and that is what she intends to do with her students as well.
She said, “You can get to know cultures and people [by reading] who are very different from yourself and you get to realize that we all have more in common than we think we do.”
