After teaching in Romania for four years, Morgan Beckett has returned to her previous home in the Grand Rapids area to continue teaching. She brings commitment and perspective to being a teacher, impacting many through her dedication to her work.
Beckett described teaching in Romania as challenging, in part due to the stark differences between the educational system at the school in Romania she taught at and high schools in the US. She would get to see each student only occasionally throughout the week, compared to the daily rotations FHC implements. As one of two native English teachers, Beckett connected with practically each grade level, teaching fourteen classes her first year in Romania.
“Every school has its own culture and way of doing things,” Beckett said. “With any school, it just comes down to figuring out what that culture is.”
After gaining experience teaching abroad, Beckett decided to return to the US, interviewing at many Grand Rapids high schools before deciding on Central, drastically changing her teaching environment and moving across the world. She is now involved in numerous FHC activities such as Improv, the Political and Current Events Club, and the Random Acts of Talent Show, as well as being a freshman class supervisor.
“At FHC, you have your own way of doing things, talking to teachers, walking in the hall, participating in clubs/sports/the arts,” Beckett said. “Transitioning just comes down to observing and adapting.”
Beckett teaches both English 10 and AP Seminar, the former being a class she’s taught during each year she’s been at FHC so far. She brings her unique experiences to the classroom, from connecting with students through a language barrier in Romania, to even doing an “unplugged” semester in college, with no technology.
“We had no devices (computers, cell phones) for 7 weeks,” Beckett said. “We read books and hiked and built a community together. It was pretty amazing. I formed some of my best friends and was in my healthiest, most inquisitive state of mind.”
Getting to interact with her students, and watching their progress over the course of a year, is one of Beckett’s favorite parts of being a teacher, whether that be in the classroom presenting or in one of the numerous extracurricular activities she’s involved in, such as improv.
Improv, a form of acting with no script, is a newfound hobby for Beckett, and the connections formed between peers, as well as indispensable qualities and skills obtained through the activity are undeniable.
“You learn to quickly adapt to any situation given to you in a positive/affirmative way,” Beckett stated. “You learn to build trust with your peers. You have to be so vulnerable on the stage when inventing a scene on the spot, [so] depending on your peers to help you/guide you/protect you is vital.”
While she spends a lot of time dedicated to teaching and her students, she also has many interests and hobbies outside of school, including, “making my small 1930s house a home.”
In addition to her renovation goals, Beckett has a lengthy bucket list, including doing a cross-country bike trip solo, teaching her dog to fetch snacks from the fridge, and reading 50 books in a year. She certainly is a multi-faceted teacher who is truly enjoying her life outside of her work to the fullest.
From teaching abroad and completing a semester unplugged, to renovating her house, Beckett brings her unique perspective to the classroom and each of her students.
“[My favorite part of teaching is] learning from [students’] interests and observing the way you interact with each other,” Beckett said. “They crack me up. I also love watching them change over the course of the year, whether that be growing in their presentation skills, their writing skills, or seeing them finish—and actually enjoy—reading a book that I either assigned or they picked out from the library.”
