As the school year comes to an end and students are anxious to leave, several teachers are re-considering their futures.
Whether they are leaving to explore other educational opportunities or simply looking for a change, each has had a unique impact at AHS. Featured below are five teachers who will be saying good-bye, but are not all of whom who will be leaving.
Madison Morella
Morella has been teaching and coaching at AHS for four years. During her time here she has taught ninth and tenth grade Health & Physical Education (HPE), Yoga for Wellness and Leadership. She has also coached the varsity volleyball, gymnastics and hurdling teams. She is leaving AHS to teach seventh-grade HPE at Longfellow Middle School in McLean to gain new experience and knowledge within her teaching career while enjoying more time for herself outside of school.
“It’s bittersweet leaving Annandale. AHS has been my everything for the last four years. I am so sad to leave behind my incredible students and athletes, but am also excited to learn and grow as a teacher,” she said.
Morella has enjoyed creating strong connections with her students and being a positive role model while encouraging them to choose kindness even in challenging times.
Selvana Ayoub
Ayoub has taught at AHS for three years as a ninth-grade HPE, Sports Medicine, and Leadership teacher. She is also the Department Chair for HPE. Ayoub has chosen to leave the school to shorten her long commute from Harpers Ferry, WV everyday where she lives with her fiancé to teach HPE at Centerville High School.
“I have mixed emotions about leaving AHS. I am nervous and excited to start a new chapter but I am also sad about leaving because I have enjoyed my time here and have grown so much as a teacher. I have truly enjoyed working here and will forever be appreciative of the opportunities I was given,” she said.
Ayoub highlights that the strong bonds she has created with her students and colleagues as well as the school’s diversity have shaped her experience here. She works to empower her students to push themselves out of their comfort zones and try new things.
Stefanie Kline
Kline and her beloved golden retriever, Ruby, will be transferring to Lewis High School. Kline has been teaching at AHS for four years as a Biology and IB Environmental Systems and Societies teacher and also leads the color guard team.
At Lewis, Kline hopes to gain more experience of different leadership and administration styles. She will miss the community she has built at AHS and those she has worked with and learned from during her time here.
“More than teaching [my students] to always have the right answers, I hope I have helped students learn how to ask insightful questions. I hope I have taught them to embrace each other’s differences and support one another – that no matter how much of a rock star one person might be, you can always accomplish more working together,” she said.
McClain Herman
Herman is in her eighth year teaching at AHS. She teaches IB English 12 and Leads the English 11 team. Throughout her career she has discovered a love for supporting her fellow teachers with their instruction and will be leaving next year to become an instructional coach at Glasgow Middle School. She has enjoyed learning from students with backgrounds other than her own and the collaboration and connection she has made with those in the English department.
“I hope that I’ve helped [my students] become better readers, communicators and critical thinkers. I think those are the core skills we focus on in English and are such critical life skills that I hope I’ve shown them that they are capable of whatever they set their mind to.” she said.
Rebecca Mooney
Mooney has been at AHS for four years as an IB Spanish 1, Spanish 4 HN and Spanish 3 teacher and is moving to Robinson Secondary School to teach middle school Spanish. She is excited to be with her daughter at Robinson and bring a more communicative and interactive approach of teaching Spanish there, something that she has developed with her colleagues at AHS.
“The past couple years have been great and I felt like I’ve formed a good bond with my students. We get to listen to music, dance and do lots of fun things in the class,” she said.
The AHS community gives a warm-hearted farewell and wishes good luck to all the staff leaving this year.
