Vicky Mann – Seventh-Grade Language Arts/Social Studies Teacher

Location: Islander Middle School

What she does: Vicky teaches two seventh-grade Language Arts/Social Studies (LA/SS) block classes, as well as one split-block class where she teaches the language arts section. “Language arts and social studies are so well-connected,” says Vicky. “Reading and writing is such a part of history, and it makes both subjects more interesting. We also explore current events and examine how they relate to issues from 200 years ago.” The social studies curriculum is Washington State history, which was transferred from ninth-grade to seventh-grade curriculum several years ago. “Initially,” says Vicky, “we feared it would be too dry for seventh-graders. I grew up in Massachusetts and I’m sure I took a class on Massachusetts history, but I don’t remember it.” IMS social studies teachers tailored the unit to their students. “Because it’s local, they can relate to it,” Vicky explains, “and so much of it is still new to me – a non-native– that it’s fresh and exciting. I hope I bring that to the kids.

Typical day: Vicky is in her classroom by 7:30 a.m. to answer email, confer with parents, and prepare for the day ahead. Class starts at 8:20 a.m. “We might work out of the textbook,” says Vicky, “read a story, or have a discussion. The kids try to get me to veer off on these crazy tangents so we can have long discussions!” Vicky has found that seventh-graders are stronger in verbal skills than written skills. “They are much more eager to talk,” she says, “than to write.” To develop writing skills, she has them write out their thoughts and arguments before allowing them to participate in discussions. “A large part of my day is spent encouraging them to work independently,” Vicky adds. “I’m always telling them, ‘use the tools you are given!’ They tend to want you to show them how to do it, rather than to follow instructions.” Tuesday through Thursday, Vicky can be found in the after-school Homework Center for students who need extra help or just a quiet space to do their homework. She normally ends her day around 5:00 p.m. “And I still have to take work home with me,” she confesses. “I’m trying not to, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.” After work she heads to the gym if she didn’t make it there that morning. “Going to the gym really helps me clear my head.”

Best part of the job: “I love the kids,” Vicky says, “but collaborating with the people at IMS makes it an incredible place to work. My friends say ‘don’t you just teach the same thing every year?’ but I don’t think there is any good teacher who is not a life-long learner. Keeping the material fresh and interesting is part of the job. The very first day of school is probably the scariest for me. The kids are staring at me with expectation, waiting for me to do my magic!” Vicky laughs. Some days, she feels she exceeds their expectations. “This job,” she says, “is about constantly becoming a better teacher, and I have a lot of help. We have so many resources in this district, but it’s the people who make it worthwhile.”

Something people may not know: “I had my glee on long before Glee!” Vicky laughs. In the summer of 1974, she sang with the acapella group, the Whiffenpoofs of Yale. “My high-school friends and I met them on vacation in Bermuda, and we sang Goin’ to the Chapel on stage.” Vicky met her husband, Hummie, at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she worked in the graphic design department and he was on a student visa from Canada. She followed him to Toronto where she got her Bachelors in Education at Ryerson University. After graduation, the couple moved to Los Angeles where Vicky obtained her teaching credentials, and became a special education junior high teacher. After visiting friends on Mercer Island, they moved here in 1996.

Years in district: This is Vicky’s 12th year with MISD. She began with the district as a long-term eighth-grade substitute. After being hired permanently, she taught one more year of eighth-grade before transferring to seventh-grade, which she has taught since.

Outside interests: “I don’t have a lot of time for outside interests,” says Vicky. But when she can, she enjoys films, world music, yoga, traveling, and her book club. Vicky’s husband, Hummie (yes, as Vicky explains, Hummie is his legal name but not the one he was born with – it’s a derivation of a young sister’s inability to pronounce his real name) is a film composer and an educator with his own program called the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program which has recently become affiliated with the Seattle Film Institute. Their two daughters completed their school years in the Mercer Island School District. Sarah is a professional dancer in Los Angeles who will soon make her debut on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. Jessi will graduate this year from George Washington University with a double major in dance and sociology, and will continue at GWU grad school to study public policy.