Victoria Ferris

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: I worked at McCluer High School. It’s in the Ferguson Florissant School District and I worked there for 15 years. So this is a big change for me. That’s the longest job I’ve ever had. Prior to that I taught english in Argentina for three years. I worked in education research in Miami for a little bit, but that wasn’t really teaching. I guess if you wanted to add it all together it’s 18.

Q: What is your impression of Clayton?

A: I came and interviewed last spring. I walked in and it was really quiet. I was like, are there kids in this building? And there were, they were just all in classes being very quiet. I thought how serene and peaceful the learning environment felt. When I got to interact with students it was even better. I guest taught one of Senora Martin’s classes and everybody got involved. They were helping each other. It felt very friendly and productive and it seemed like the students were into working together and having fun.

Q: Do you have a favorite teaching story?

A: One of my favorite sets of accomplishments was working with students on their Gates Millenium Program scholarships and helping them with their essays, recommending them, and being an advocate for them. In my years at McCluer I had six students go on to be Gates Millennium scholars. Now, all but one of them have masters degrees. And one is pursuing her PhD right now. That’s something they had never dreamed possible. It was for no fees. Everything was included. Working with those kids and helping them find their way to success, it’s always been one of my favorite things to do throughout the school year. 15 years is a lot of stories. We had one girl think that ham comes from a bird. Another swore up and down that a gorilla was a type of bear.