Our Faculty Friday Spotlight this week is on 3N teacher Marty Hoessle! Marty is a fixture at Community School. She’s been an educator for 35 years, 30 of them right here! She’s known for her love of nature and animals, plus her recycling initiatives (and ability to get students excited about it). She’s also a published author. When she couldn’t find good resources to teach local history to her students, she took matters into her own hands and wrote a book called Under Three Flags: Exploring Early St. Louis History. Let’s learn some more:
Favorite subject to teach? Social studies - I love to teach history and citizenship and social skills, and why they are all important and all interconnected.
Defining moment as an educator? The times when children's eyes light up when they finally understand a difficult concept or apply a brand new skill when they didn't think they could do it!
What’s your Community School “claim to fame?” Teaching from the book I wrote and being Community School’s guest author the year it got published
Best CS Memory: Watching the solar eclipse as a whole school was pretty awesome!!
Why Community? The guiding principles fit with my personal philosophy of education. I love the campus and woods! The administration, faculty, and staff are incredible people.
Favorite spot on campus? The woods
Favorite food? Italian
Favorite team? Cardinals
Favorite band/musical group? I like a variety: rock, classical, pop, international music
States lived in? Texas, Missouri
Hobbies? cycling, hiking, paddle boarding, yoga, reading, traveling
Pets? 2 cats, beta fish in classroom
Favorite children’s author? Kate DiCamillo
Favorite memory from your time as a student? Annual all school picnics at an amusement park that no longer exists
What else is interesting about you? I try to practice mindfulness and expose my students to the experience. I grew up raising wild baby animals during the time my father owned a pet shop and then worked at the zoo. This influenced my love of animals and nature, and my desire to share this and the concepts of sustainability and conservation with my students. A few favorite travels: Getting married in France, photography safari in Kenya, biking through Tuscany, Italy