by Rina Lee and Natasha Lin
Mrs. Leanza recently transferred to Biotechnology High School to teach Freshman English. Mrs. Leanza is a warm, welcoming, and comforting teacher here at BTHS, and any student is very fortunate to have her next year. This is an opportunity for new incoming students to get to know her better, as she is new to us as well!
Please tell us a little about yourself -- where you are from, your educational background, family, anything you wish to share with us today.
“I was originally born in New York. I come from very, very humble beginnings living in the city. I came to New Jersey probably when I was in middle school. I have a younger sister. I've always wanted to be in education. I'm going into my fourteenth year of teaching beginning in September. This is my second year at Biotech but also my third school district. I have a degree in English literature and liberal arts. I have a master's in educational technology, and I have a supervisor cert. I'm married. I have one daughter, two dogs. I live pretty close to here. I live in Jackson. I live on a big piece of property that's really difficult to take care of and I love what I do.”
Was there any specific reason why you came to Biotechnology High School to teach?
“I kind of get antsy when things become too stagnant and kind of like I don't want to use the word complacent but too routine if that makes sense. Not that I was bored, but I did feel like I needed to take a new step in my career to explore other avenues, so when I saw this posting, I said to myself, this is a different school district, you know it's not your traditional type of high school which that's where I was coming from, and I said you know what this could be kind of cool. This could be a new opportunity in the kind of thing that I'm looking for now at this point in my career. And it was just all very, very coincidental, very serendipitous, and I am beyond grateful to be here. I feel like this is where I'm meant to be.”
What has been the hardest part about moving your classes online? And how have you learned to adapt from these hardships?
“Well it's no secret, I am very candid. This is not for me. It's not for most people. I think I mentioned in our classes I'm a busybody. I like to get up and move around the room, that's how I forage the rapport with my students and forge relationships with my students. That's how I kind of develop a longevity with them. Teaching freshman is my favorite because I get to watch you grow over the course of four years even though I may not be your teacher for your future years. It's still nice to watch you mold into this wonderful young adult. I think what gets lost in this environment is the ability to do that, so the hardest part has been able to really connect with my students the way I normally would have in a traditional school year. I'm trying, I feel like I did sort of, but it's certainly not the extent that it would have been had we been in person seeing our face, seeing each other smile, kind of feeling like the energy between us. You don't feel energy between a screen, so I think that that's been the most difficult part. The priceless reward that you get from teaching is what you do with your students.”
Recently, you asked us what has been one thing that motivated us throughout this difficult year. Do you have anything that has personally motivated you to persist throughout the year?
“There are lots of things. Certainly my students always motivate me. There's always a handful of students that are on the same wavelength as you and can kind of feel that sense with. My family has motivated me. Actually, things that I've learned over the course of the year even though I've taught these pieces of literature time and time again, some of them I could recite lines by heart. Every single time I teach them I learned something different, and I definitely attribute that to the unique population of students that I get each year, so the diversity between years as learners as human beings, that's definitely motivated me to continue to press forward and know that this is a temporary situation and that likely in September it will be a lot more normalized, so just trying to get there.”
Since you are an English teacher at our school, do you have any favorite books or pieces of literature? Do you have any recommendations for us?
“Well, I certainly don't want you spoiling it for yourselves, and you don't have me rattle off everything we've done this year. It's hard to pick a favorite because I'm in the world itself. I'm constantly surrounded by words, and meaning, and the characters, and settings. I will say this that I did take a gander at your summer reading, and one of the titles on there is beyond a recommendation for me. The Kite Runner. It is, I actually don't even know how to put it in words. It is an extraordinary story, and then, there is another one. I don't want to say it's a follow-up, but it’s by the same author and culturally, it’s similar. A Thousand Splendid Suns is another really awesome read. Not sure if it's too mature for a freshman student, but The Kite Runner is on there, and I would consider that pretty mature, so definitely both of them are worth the time.”
What do you miss about teaching in person?
“So as I said before, I just miss the energy that comes along with having kids in the classroom. I'm usually pretty interactive, and this whole sitting at the desk, staring at the screen, and having a few of you here in front of me. Normally, there are slides up on the screen behind me. I use them while I'm talking to you and asking you questions and just kind of having this nice authentic conversation. I miss not having to pull teeth sometimes when I'm asking for a response. I know behind the screen is very awkward. People feel kind of funny, and I totally understand that, so I try to not be so harsh I suppose when I'm asking for an answer. I just miss the interactiveness. I miss the rapport. I miss feeling like it's a second home because that's how I treat my classroom. That's why I have everything hanging up. To me, this is where I spend most of my time, so I just miss all of that kind of activity.”
Is there any advice you would offer to our incoming students, on school or life in general?
“Yes, you should always put your best foot forward, and the idea is to be at your most successful. You want to strive for success, and for many students that means a grade. A good grade, and an A, and whatever that looks like for you. What I'll say is that your experience not just here at Biotech but just in general in high school, being a ninth grader or whatever, is much more than that. so allow yourselves to focus on that too, and don't get so caught up in defining yourself by the grade.”