It’s not just students who have to adjust to new environments. First-year teacher Mariam Aburdeineh recently made a big career change from a journalist to a teacher. She has been slowly getting used to her life as a teacher for 9th grade English learners, and she is thrilled to have gotten the position. “It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, so I’m really excited that I finally get to be here,” Aburdeineh said. 

The rest of the English department are just as excited about her arrival. Thanks to her previous career, Aburdeineh brings in a fresh perspective that her co-workers can appreciate. 

“I think her journalistic background has really helped the whole English department because she knows a lot about grammar and good writing habits,” English 9 teacher Emily Hines said. “I’m really glad to have her around when we’re planning.” 

Hines also commented on how well Aburdeineh is adjusting from working alone to collaborating with an entire department. As a journalist, Aburdeineh would write advertisements, emails, articles, and everything relating to public relations on her own. Now that she is a teacher, she works with the rest of the English teachers to plan lessons and provide feedback. 

“I 100% see why it would be super overwhelming but she has been super nice and cooperative,” Hines said. 

Switching careers is a huge commitment, but it’s clear that Aburdeineh has no regrets about her decision. In fact, even before becoming a journalist the thought of teaching had always been on her mind. 

“In college I had really long winter breaks where I was always bored, and I told my mom about it. My mom is a teacher and she said, “Oh you should sub, we always need good subs”,” said Aburdeineh. “And so I finally started substitute teaching. And I loved it. I loved working with small groups, and I liked helping kids grow and learn.”

Her love for teaching has been obvious to her fellow teachers. “She really cares about her kids and her colleagues,” English 9 teacher Emily Bernardo said.