Ever since public schools were first widely implemented in the U.S. in the 19th century, teachers played an integral role in shaping the lives of their students. While classrooms evolved along with the rest of the world from chalkboards to projectors, the passion for teaching remains as it continues to pass down through generations.
New Education Specialist at the school, Monetta Hare, got her love of teaching from her grandmother.
“My grandmother was a teacher, and she taught in a one room schoolhouse that had all grades,” Hare said. “You know grandparents always tell those stories about how different it was and the chalkboards, so I had always known that I wanted to be in education. I was excited to follow her path.”
In a split contract with SDUHSD, Hare spends her mornings at Pacific Trails Middle School co-teaching a seventh grade English class and doing caseload management before driving over to TPHS to prepare for and co-teach an English 9 class.
“I’m in the classroom to support the general education teacher, and all the students in the classroom,” Hare said. “I’m not designated for a specific group of students.”
When she co-teaches Marie Black’s English 9 class, Hare leads the warm-up activity. When Black starts instruction, Hare walks around the class available to aid struggling students, guide discussions or help with absent work.
As an Education Specialist, Hare also ensures that all students within her caseload are supported by their Individualized Education Programs.
“Each year we review that information and decide whether or not we need to change things or if … [the students] learned how to hone in on systems they can use, [so that] they don’t need that same accommodation anymore,” Hare said. “We are really helping them grow in their education and their skill set to overcome some of those challenges.”
Hare did not always work in the special education department, spending the first 10 years of her teaching experience as an English teacher. She only switched after noticing an increase in the number of students with special needs in her classes.
“I wanted to really focus on that group of students, and how I can help them find ways to do things a little differently that would help them then overcome their disability,” Hare said. “I really enjoyed it so I decided to go back and get my special education credential and I’ve been doing that since.”
Before switching to SDUHSD this school year, Hare worked at Charter High School in La Mesa.
“The travel time was really starting to wear on me,” Hare said. “My husband teaches [at Canyon Crest Academy] … so we really wanted to be a part of the community that’s a little bit closer to my house.”
Now at the school, Hare appreciates the faculty.
“One of the things that I really love — and I think almost every school has a climate , but Torrey Pines really steps it up a notch — is the staff [is] very, very supportive in the sense of really working together to support students and being there for one another as well,” Hare said. “I just see it as a really strong network to support students and I really like that.”
One way that Hare aims to support her students is by teaching them to have a positive mindset.
“I really want them to see that anything is possible for them,” Hare said. “If they put their mind to it, they can do anything … big or small.”
Hare is motivated by this ability to impact her students.
“I think that no matter what, there will be a point in my career where there’ll be one student that will say ‘Oh my gosh, I remember that teacher’ because I feel that everybody has that experience,” Hare said. “For me, knowing that that will happen at some point in my career, if it hasn’t already, just means the world to me.”
This is not the only thing Hare loves about her job as a teacher.
“I really enjoy that [teaching is] not monotonous,” Hare said. “I love working with the age groups and the input they give us and the different lenses they see things through as well. It’s so rewarding, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Outside of work, Hare values time with her family and exercising.
“I have two little kids … I just love seeing them grow and … really just the quality time and watching them try new things,” Hare said. “I do try to exercise regularly; I really enjoy working out and trying to find time for it again.”
At the end of each year, Hare feels rewarded with her work as a teacher. Much like she always knew she wanted to pursue education, Hare knows she loves her job.
“[Teaching] takes patience and it takes resilience and it’s a lot of work nine months out of the year. But when you put all that in, the reward is so big that at the end of the year, it doesn’t feel like so much work,” Hare said. “When you reflect back, you see so much growth that … you can’t help but feel really proud at the end of the day.”
