Elizabeth Jackson is one of De Pere High school’s newest teachers, starting the 2024-2025 school year. She is an experienced teacher who took a break to be a stay-at-home parent right before the pandemic hit; she teaches ELA 11, public speaking and creative writing.
Q: Where did you go to school?
A: I went to Onalaska High School over by the La Crosse area, and then I went to UW-Green Bay.
Q: Any extra curricular activities when in high school or college?
A: Yes. In high school I was very involved in soccer. When I was a senior, we started a book club. In college I was very involved in Circle K, which is similar to Key Club. We did a lot of volunteer work. I got connections with organizations I still work with today and have connections with people that I still talk with today.
Q: What grades did you get?
A: I would say As or Bs.
Q: Did you have a job while in high school?
A: Yes, I worked as a grocery store checkout girl for six years. I started when I was 16 and went all the way until I got married.
Q: Why did you want to be a teacher?
A: I had this epiphany. I think it was in 12th grade. I just woke up one day and knew this is what I wanted to do. I do not want to leave school. I want to be here forever, indefinitely. It doesn’t feel right to be outside of school. I loved school. I loved everything about it. I wanted to stay in school forever and if I could continue taking college classes and doing college I would love that too. I loved being a student, I love being a teacher. I love the whole aspect of all of it.
Q: Did you have any teachers who inspired you?
A: I had so many great teachers. The first one that comes to mind is a Spanish teacher who was the most passionate person about her subject about teaching in general and really about life. She really inspired me to be a teacher.
Q: Did you teach anywhere else?
A: Washington Junior High, which is now Washington Middle School, and Manitowoc, for six years.
Q: Why did you decide to work at De Pere?
A: First and foremost, I live in De Pere. I didn’t know a lot about the area when I first started going to college at UWGB, but my grandparents live in Freedom and they would talk about the great places to live, and De Pere was one of the great places to live.
Q: Why teach at the high school level?
A: When I went to college I always knew that I wanted to teach high school, but when I ended up landing my job at a middle school, I did really like it. I liked working with middle school kids, but I knew I wanted to be in a high school. I enjoy the high school age.
Q: Why did you want to teach ELA?
A: I love everything about ELA. I love the reading, I love the writing, I love the speaking and listening. It just speaks to me more than any of the other subjects. When I was in college I was in an English program, and I really fit in with that group of people.
Q: What qualities do you think you bring to DPHS staff?
A: I know I’m a very good listener. At this point I’m just taking in a lot of information and processing it, but I’m also very kind and empathetic.
Q: Why did you become a stay-at-home parent?
A: When my son was 5 months old, I found out I was having twins and my husband and I had a conversation and crunched the numbers. I would have been paying more in daycare costs than I would have been taking home as a teacher.
Q: What is your life like outside of teaching?
A: I pick up my kids after school, and I pick up one of our family friend’s daughter after school and bring them all over to my house. We just play until my husband brings my other son home, and it’s just a lot of chaos. It’s like a full sprint after school, but I think it will get a little better once we start settling into this new routine.
