Alexandra Webster is not British. But if you ask many of her previous students, they’d tell you she is.
“All of my kids, when I taught in Spain, thought I was British,” Webster said, “and they would think the United States is all New York and Los Angeles, so they thought I knew celebrities. They would always ask me, ‘Do you know Taylor Swift?’ They just think you know a bunch of celebrities if you live in the United States.”
Before joining the staff at FHC, Webster taught in Spain for three years. She worked in a bilingual school, teaching science classes and English. This experience taught her many lessons, and she grew as a person, not just in the school.
“I think teaching in Spain taught me a lot of things,” Webster said. “[It taught me] how to be flexible and adapt to different circumstances as well as appreciating differences between people and cultures. It was a great learning experience in and outside the classroom.”
Despite how nice it was to teach in Spain, Webster joined FHC’s staff this year, teaching Human Anatomy and Physiology as well as AP Environmental Science. She has always been interested in science, and she had some significant influences that made her want to continue on a path of science as well as the path of being a teacher.
“I loved science my whole life, but I had a science teacher in high school who I loved,” Webster said. “She was amazing, and she made science super fun. I could see other kids who maybe didn’t like science having a fun time in class. So then I went to study pre-med, and I loved getting to learn everything about science, and I thought it was so interesting. I think getting to teach science and sharing how much I love science with other kids, and hopefully getting to help those kids that don’t like science at all start to like it, is what I really enjoy.”
While Webster was studying Biology at Loyola University, she realized that teaching was the right path for her. It would allow her to share her love for science with students and help some of them discover a passion for it as well.
After Webster returned from Spain, she searched for schools to teach at, and through that search, she found FHC, which she felt was a good fit in many ways. Webster grew up in the area and, therefore, is familiar with it, which allowed for an easier decision.
“I wanted to start teaching at FHC because it’s close to my family and where I grew up,” Webster said, “but also because I was looking online, and I loved the culture of the school, and how involved everyone is with school activities like the newspaper, and the arts, and all the sports. I really liked that aspect of it.”
FHC has a very active school community, with many taking part in extracurricular activities that they have a passion for. This passion makes FHC a community that many can feel welcome in, and that helped Webster realize that FHC would be a good option for her.
“I think everyone [here] has a really good sense of community,” Webster said. “Everyone has been so nice and welcoming to me, but I also see how all of the students take care of each other and support each other as well.”
Not only did Webster appreciate the opportunities provided through extracurriculars, but she also noticed that FHC has a wide variety of class options. Students are not limited to a few but are encouraged to branch out and find something for them.
Webster felt that FHC followed her beliefs and that the opportunities that the students had built a greater bond between them. This allowed her to feel as though her students were doing something that they wanted and that they were discovering themselves.
“[FHC] aligns with what I believe a school should be like,” Webster said. “Everyone is allowed to be themselves, and there’s a lot of different stuff for kids to do, for example, classes. When I went to high school, I think we only had about two electives that you could take. There were not many to choose from, so it’s very cool that this school lets all of the kids find their interest.”
Being a teacher at FHC provides a lot of opportunities to go to events outside of school. There are always school events happening, and Webster is looking forward to being an active participant in these events as a staff member, and seeing what it feels like through adult eyes instead of those of the high school student she once was.
“I am excited to go to all of the student events such as sporting and theater,” Webster said. “I loved going to football games when I was a student, and I was in the marching band, so getting to see that from another perspective will be cool. And getting to see the school spirit during Homecoming is something I am super excited for.”
Throughout Webster’s teaching career, she has tried to be a teacher that students remember, and she has tried to lead with her values at the forefront of her mind. She hopes to leave a lasting impact on her students and allow them to develop a love for science or at least start to like it more than some might already.
“One thing that I always try to remember is that I try to lead with compassion and kindness,” Webster said. “I really want to be kind to my students and super compassionate with them, and hopefully, that sets a good example for them in all areas of their life.”
