Brenna Griffin, Cedar Falls High School

Position: English Teacher

Years Teaching: 18 years

Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, Reading, Writing, Walking by the river

What do you enjoy most about teaching? I love laughing with students. Spending time with teenagers keeps me young. Teenagers really are the best humans in the world--they are earnest, optimistic, and idealistic. I love all of the serious work we do together about reading, writing, and thinking--but I also truly enjoy their company.

What do you find the most challenging about teaching? The most challenging thing is when people and groups outside of our profession attack the work we do without knowing much about it.

Best tip for new teachers: Find the good people and become their friends. To sustain yourself in this profession, you have to surround yourself with people who shield you and lift you up (read Jennifer Gonzalez's post on marigolds--it's pure gold).

Best tip for career teachers: Set boundaries around your time, but do your very best work within those boundaries. And--Every now and then when one more thing feels out of your control, pick something small you can do to return to your teaching core (for me, it's reading a poem with students--it takes five minutes and I'm right back in the game).

Favorite piece of advice for students: You can learn something from anyone you meet. Be humble.

What being a Gold Star Teacher means to you: It feels great to be recognized for doing the work that I have always seen as the most important in the world--helping students find their voices so they can be empowered, confident people and citizens. Teaching is hard, hard work, and much of the time, the work goes unnoticed. I have been fortunate to be lifted up by many amazing colleagues over the years, and I wish they could all feel the warmth that I feel right now. A few students have reached out to congratulate me--some that I didn't know I made an impact on--and that serves as constant reminder that so much of this work is not visible, even to us.