Megan Vail said teaching was the only career she really considered. Vail said she didn’t know what career she wanted to pursue until she was a freshman in high school, when she decided to pursue teaching.
“[I decided to be a teacher] because I realized I was always helping people in class. It felt great when I knew I helped that person pass a test, or get a better grade in the class,” Vail said.
After graduating from Osawatomie High School, Vail attended Baker University to get a degree in history and secondary education. Vail has recently been a substitute teacher for Gardner and Osawatomie. Vail is attending St. Mary’s to get her masters in adaptive special education.
“I think growing up [in Osawatomie] has helped me to like smaller towns,” Vail said. “It makes me like Paola a lot more even though it is rivals with my high school.”
Vail said it was especially hard to be a new teacher because she had to learn how to get her lessons planned and ready on time.
“I try to make [my lessons] interesting, but it’s very hard to stay organized,” Vail said. “I’m not used to getting lessons planned and I have to be very organized.”
Vail said she is very excited to teach and she thinks she will enjoy being a teacher in Paola.
“Paola has a good school system and I’m very excited to teach here, even though I went to school at a rival town,” Vail said.