Among the new staff members at Elmira High School is social studies teacher DesiRae Wright-Rendon.
Wright-Rendon transferred to Elmira from a middle school in The Dalles, where she taught history to seventh- and eighth-graders. At EHS, she teaches U.S. History, AP History and Future Success. She’s also the JV volleyball coach.
Wright-Rendon sat down with Falcon News to help students and staff get to know her.
A favorite quote: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — Dumbledore, “The Prisoner of Azkaban”
Why history? Wright-Rendon said she has always loved history and originally was going to be a lawyer. When she decided she wanted to teach, she changed her major and took all of the history classes that she could take.
Do you have any pets? Are you married? She is married but doesn’t have any pets, although she hopes to get a cat in the future.
What would you say is your greatest strength? Wright-Rendon said her greatest strength is her organizational skills, both mentally and physically.
What is your greatest weakness? She said her greatest weakness is that she cares too much about what people think of her, and that she’s “a people-pleaser and a perfectionist.” She said she’s working on it by reminding herself that sometimes people’s opinions can’t be changed and to let it go.
How would you describe yourself? She described herself as an empathetic individual who is introverted and quirky.
How would some of your students describe you? We asked some of Wright-Rendon’s students for their answers to this one. One student described her as a fun and upbeat individual who makes the material easy to comprehend while still accomplishing the goals of the classroom.
Another student described her as someone who makes the classroom entertaining. They also said she connects well with her students and has similar interests to that of her students.
What are your hobbies? Wright-Rendon likes to read outside of class. She also enjoys cooking, baking, knitting and gaming.
What motivates you? She said she is always looking to grow and learn more, which is part of the reason she wanted to teach. “They call teachers the forever learning profession,” she said. She said she doesn’t want to be stuck in the same place, so teaching gives her the chance to learn and grow.
What’s your philosophy? Hard work is her philosophy. Her family was always hardworking, and she said that hard work may look different at different times and phases, but it’s still hard work and helps a person complete a goal or succeed.
Hopes? Fears? Dreams? Wright-Rendon said her hope is that she can make an impact. She wants her life to have meaning and have an impact on others. Her dream is to travel more, and her fear is that she can’t do either of those.
If you could visit three places in the world, where would you go? Ireland is at the top of her list, followed by Japan. Other places on her list include Morocco, Northern Africa and the Middle East.
What do you hope students take away from your classes? She said she wants her students to take away that humans make mistakes, that no one is perfect and that if we don’t learn people’s flaws along with accomplishments, we are doing a disservice to ourselves. She also wants her students to learn that people with flaws made huge accomplishments.
What do you like most about teaching? Wright-Rendon said it’s all about the relationships she gets to build with her students. “Students are the reason I show up every day and work hard,” she said.
What do you dislike most about teaching? On the opposite end, what she dislikes most about teaching is how exhausting it is. She said that being an introvert makes it a bit hard and that being “on” all day drains her and is hard on her. In the end, though, she said it’s worth it.
Did you do any clubs/sports/activities in high school and/or college? In high school, Wright-Rendon was on the leadership team for two years and was a class officer. She also participated in the fall musical her school hosted every year.
What jobs have you had before teaching? How did you like them? Did they affect your goal to teach? Wright-Rendon’s first job was a barista, then she switched to working for three summers in a fruit barn. “It wasn’t my favorite job, but it helped pay for college,” she said. She also worked as a preschool teacher at her church for a few years, and she was a bookseller before becoming a teacher.
Do you like being at EHS? “Yes! I do! The teachers here are so nice and helpful. It’s a really great environment. I also really like the students. Everyone is so unique!”
