Rhonda Fisher is the new Special Education teacher at De Pere High School. Before she started teaching, she considered having jobs in architecture and the medical field. She answered a few questions from the Crimson Aviator.
Q: What are your past teaching experiences?
A: My past teaching experiences would be at Seymour High School. I was there for 3 years as the special education teacher. Before that, I was at the Green Bay Area Public School District and I worked as a special ed teacher there. I also teach summer school in Pulaski. I’ve done that for 4 years and I also teach at NWTC career fundamentals.
Q: Did you ever teach any other age of students?
A: I did. I taught at Franklin Middle School, so 6th, 7th and 8th, and then elementary. But I definitely prefer to work with high school students.
Q: Why did you choose to teach high school? What do you like about kids this age?
A: You can have adult conversations with them.
Q: Why did you want to be a teacher?
A: It just kind of fell in my lap actually. I was working on my master’s degree, and it was at Green Bay Public School District. They offered to anyone who had their bachelors degree that they would get them a teaching license, and they would pay for it. So I did it, and I just liked the special education environment and working with kids individually.
Q: Did you always want to be a teacher?
A: I went to school for architecture and then that wasn’t what I expected it to be. And then I switched to pre-med and stuck with that for a while, and then realized after 4 years that that’s not what I wanted to do. So I went back to school later in life to GB and got my degree in organizational leadership. Then I went to Oshkosh and got my master’s degree in public administration.
Q: What traits do you feel you bring to the staff and the school?
A: I am very much a people person, so I really like to build relationships with everyone – students and teachers, parents. I love to laugh.
Q: Where did you go to high school and college?
A: So I went to Plymouth High School, which is about an hour south, and then college. I actually started out at UW Milwaukee and went there 5 years. I left there without a degree. I finished up at UWGB and then UW Oshkosh.
Q: What are your hobbies and interests outside of school?
A: I am an avid reader. I like to read fiction, thriller, and mystery books. I am obsessed with coffee. My hobby is doing 3D puzzles. They are called Book Nooks – I am kind of obsessed with them.
Q: How has your school year been going so far?
A: It’s been a lot different. The school is a lot bigger than what I’m used to. I do like that my 2 children go here, so I like that they’re here and I can see them. Jordan is a freshman and Nick is a junior and then I have 1 more – a daughter in 7th grade at the middle school.
