Life is just a series of obstacles keeping me from reading my book.
My name is Annelise Leonard (she/they). I currently work as a high school teacher in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, which is located in St. Louis County, Missouri. I teach in a non-traditional school, so I have had one core group of students for the past three years. They are seniors now and graduate in the spring! This is a picture of us at the end of last year:
This year, I teach social studies and English, and my responsibilities have increased. I am chair of two committees/departments, am the building NEA representative, create the building course schedule, and am mentoring two new teachers. I also work as an adjunct professor in history at various community colleges and universities in the St. Louis area.
My undergraduate degree is in philosophy and gender studies. In philosophy, I am particularly interested in epistemology and phenomenology. My first master’s degree is in history. I am particularly interested in ethnic and national identities in 20th-century Africa. My second master’s degree is in secondary education. I am interested in student self-efficacy, particularly in low-income school districts. In information science, I am interested in the impact of information accessibility (and what that means) in low-income communities. I am in my second year of the MSI program and will graduate at the end of this semester.
I have a lot of hobbies. I enjoy reading, writing, drawing, ceramics, rock climbing, playing video and board games, painting, watching soccer, hiking, crocheting, getting new piercings and tattoos, and hanging out with my husband and our four rescue dogs! I definitely do not have time to do everything I want to do.
As an introvert, the social demands of teaching often leave me very tired by the end of the day. After work, I spend quite a bit of time reading, as it works best for me to decompress and relax.
I like to read.
– Annelise Leonard
Last spring, I took the Digital Libraries course. That course inspired an interest in learning about digital technology with regard to information professions. I have since started learning SQL and Python. Through this course, I hope to learn how to design and produce different types of digital media programs, expanding on the knowledge I learned in Digital Libraries. I am also interested in learning how AI can be utilized to support digital media production.
Hi Annelise! First, I love the quote you opened up with! And wow, you have quite the extensive background and a lot on your plate! I’d love to hear more about how all of your studies inform your teaching philosophy. I’ve always been curious about non-traditional schools; how has your experience been there?
I also have a lot of hobbies (crochet and reading among them!); it’s so hard to choose between them when I do have the time! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for the project!
Hi Annelise! You are a knowledgeable person who is brave enough to challenge yourself, I admire you and understand that you would run out of energy after teaching as an introvert. But I’m glad to see that you enjoy your own time to read after work, can you recommend me one of your favorite books? Like you, I share an interest in information accessibility and equal rights in low-income communities, and I believe there’s much I could learn from you. I’m looking forward to communicating with you more!
Hi Annelise, it’s great to meet you. I am in awe of you — a true Renaissance woman! It seems like your degrees work together to make you an exceptional teacher, and this MSI degree will also add to your abilities. Working in a low-income school district is challenging, I am sure, but I bet it’s also very rewarding. I understand having more hobbies than time! I also enjoy crocheting and so many times I want to pick up my latest crochet project instead of working on my homework. Best of luck to you!
Hi Annelise! I think we have been in a couple of classes together, and it’s nice to ‘see’ you again this semester. It kind of blows my mind that you already have two master’s degrees which have led you to become a teacher, and now you’re working on a third. What the heck! Are you trying to get the award for Smartest Teacher Ever? As someone who went to a small, non-traditional high school, I get excited when I come across someone who has also been a student or teacher in that type of environment. What made you decide to teach in a school where you have the same group of kids for several years versus a traditional public school or even a private school? Are you from Missouri? I am impressed that your school system has a non-traditional school that lets you work with such a small group of students and see them through to graduation. I currently work in a fairly traditional public high school, but I am especially interested in serving marginalized populations – a bit of a challenge in Florida right now. Now that you’re working on your MSI, do you think you will continue teaching? I hope so. It seems like your students are lucky to have you!