The Charter Academy Teachers Share Their Passion for Education and Future Goals

The Charter Academy teachers were asked about their educational backgrounds, what they enjoy most about teaching at the Charter Academy, and their goals for the school year. Their answers reveal their passion for education and student success.

 

Khadijah Thomas teaches Chemistry and Biology Honors at the Charter Academy and is in her fourth year of teaching. She holds a B.S. in psychology from Florida State University and an M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Barry University. Currently, she is pursuing a specialist degree in Educational Leadership at Barry University.

With two years of experience teaching elementary students and one year at the high school level, Thomas is passionate about making science education fun and engaging. She incorporates labs and project-based learning to ensure her students are actively involved in their education.

The small class sizes at the Charter Academy provide opportunities for more one-on-one support, allowing Thomas to adjust pacing as necessary to keep everyone on track.

Starting this month, she will sponsor the Pre-Medical Society. She aims to collaborate with the health programs at Pensacola State College and local health professionals. Students will have the chance to tour college facilities and learn about various health fields. Monthly meetings will feature guest speakers from different medical professions.

Additionally, the Pre-Medical Society will offer numerous opportunities for students to earn community service hours for scholarships and gain leadership experience. Having been on the pre-medical track in college, Thomas is excited to share her knowledge with students. The club is open to students interested in learning more about health careers and gaining community service hours.

 

Jenna Montgomery grew up in Niceville and lived in New York City for years while working in the performing arts. An adventurer at heart, she is always planning her next trip. 

Montgomery has a deep love for history and earned an Ed.S., M.A., and B.A. in Social Science Education from Florida State University. While in Tallahassee, she worked at the World War II Archives as an archival assistant and performed in living history programs, re-enacting historical events and educating the public about everyday life in different time periods. 

As a professional educator, Montgomery taught history at Northwest Florida State College and enjoyed teaching AP and honors courses for eight years at Niceville High School. 

Montgomery loves “traveling through time” with her students and seeing their perspectives on historical events, outstanding creativity, and talent. She looks forward to seeing students develop ideas for creative interactive projects.

 

 

 

Katrina Maurer received her B.S. in Electronic Media from Northern Arizona University (NAU). However, before graduating, she realized she did not want to pursue that career path. During her senior year, she discovered her true passion for teaching. After working in sales for a year, she applied to Pepperdine University, where she was accepted and graduated in one year with an M.A. in Education. 

Now in her 25th year of teaching, Maurer expresses her love for the profession. “I LOVE it!” she exclaims. 

Maurer enjoys the creativity involved in teaching English, noting the numerous options for activities, discussions, and projects. She delights in diving into great literature, exploring informative texts, and deconstructing poetry with her students. Helping her students find their voice in writing and improving their skills is a particular joy for her. 

One of Maurer’s favorite aspects of teaching is the relationships she builds with her students. “We are starting to become a little family,” she says. She appreciates the ability to adjust learning to meet her students’ needs, both academically and in their choices of reading materials and project creation. 

Maurer aims to continue helping her students grow academically, mentally, and emotionally. Her goal is to guide them into becoming great readers and writers who think critically and succeed in their college courses. More importantly, she wants them to become the best versions of themselves. 

“My students make me want to be the best teacher I can be each and every day,” Maurer concludes. 

 

Lynda Shald began her journey into math at Pensacola Junior College after graduating from high school. Before completing her degree, she met her husband and spent time at home raising her two children. Later in life, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of West Florida, which led her to a teaching career she hadn’t initially envisioned.

During her first year of teaching, Shald took classes to become a certified teacher. Although she initially pictured herself teaching upper-level math to high school students, she decided to get certified to teach elementary school as a backup. Her first teaching job was at Oakcrest Elementary, where she taught math to all the fifth graders. She was surprised by how much she learned about math and teaching at the fifth-grade level.

Shald would have stayed at Oakcrest Elementary, but the new principal at Warrington Middle, who had hired her for her first teaching job, needed a math teacher. When Warrington Middle left the Escambia School District, she received a call from Washington High School, where she finally made it to high school teaching and loved it.

Teaching math at the PSC Charter Academy has been an amazing opportunity for Shald. She appreciates the respect students have for themselves, each other, the teachers, and staff, which allows her to challenge their thinking and understanding of math. Her goals for the upcoming year include continuing to implement project-based learning into the curriculum and preparing students mathematically for any path they choose to take in their future.