From a Special Educator to an English Teacher

Oakland Mills has a reputation for building a tight knit, powerful community. We are known for lifting and supporting each other during our highest and lowest moments. We have the honor of welcoming back Mrs. Pierce, one of our fellow alumni with these values, as one of our amazing English teachers.

For the past four years, Mrs. Pierce worked at OM as a special educator. However, she always wanted to become an English teacher. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher that […] helped everybody, regardless of what their needs were,” Mrs. Pierce explained, describing her goal of supporting all students throughout their high school journey. These beliefs came from her brother, for he never qualified for special services in school despite having a language processing disability. After seeing the experiences her brother went through as he struggled in school, Mrs. Pierce knew she wanted to offer that help to others “regardless of whether they had the IEP [Individualized Education Plan] paperwork that mandated the assistance that they needed.” 

Mrs. Pierce majored in English at Goucher College and concentrated in special education to try to fulfill her goals. After graduating, she became a special educator because it was what was available to her at the time.  Nonetheless, Mrs. Pierce carried out many of the same duties that a regular teacher does. Mrs. Pierce would often grade and instruct for the teacher she accompanied since those were tasks that she always wanted to do. She typically had a collaborative relationship with the teachers, which meant she commonly had fun banter with them as they worked together.

Since her duties were already aligned with those of a teacher, she found that transitioning to being an English teacher was very natural. “Not a ton has changed except, I guess, I do a lot more of the planning now,” Mrs. Pierce described stepping into her new role. Despite this, she still works out balancing her needs with her work because of this transition. Being split between here and River Hill High School, Mrs. Pierce only has fourth period to plan, travel, and eat. This causes her to work on the weekends very frequently, but she still manages to find time for herself. She enjoys walking her dogs, Misty and Theo, and she enjoys playing board games with her wife.

Even through all of her trials at the beginning of this year, Mrs. Pierce is excited to start her work in the position that she always wanted. She is hoping to continue fostering an inclusive environment for all students, no matter the challenges or stresses she may face.