Teacher Feature: Ms. Dziekan

Ms. Dziekan, located in room A208, is the sub teacher for Mr. Trachtenberg. Teaching Honors English 12 and various electives, she is a very new teacher–both in CB West and in her career!

CSP: What high school and college did you attend? What was your major?

I went to North Penn High School. After that I went to Ursinus College, where I majored in English and minored in Education and Creative Writing.

CSP: How are you liking CB West so far? What classes are you teaching?

I’m loving it here so far. It’s such a great community and so full of excellent students. I teach 12^th grade English honors. I also teach Creative Writing this marking period. (Last marking period I taught Debate.)

CSP: Did you always want to be a teacher? What was your ‘inspiration?’

I’ve wanted to be a teacher for a long time, at least since high school. I’ve always been told that I’m good at explaining things (or at least enthusiastic when I’m doing so.) I also have a passion for reading and writing that I feel committed to sharing. I had some excellent English teachers in high school, and they were so helpful to me that I almost feel like I have a moral responsibility to pay it forward — which brings me here.

CSP: Is this your first time teaching? If so, what is one aspect of it that was different from what you expected?

This is my first time teaching professionally. I was surprised by the diversity of students and uniqueness of their ideas. No matter how I plan, every single class brings something new that I hadn’t anticipated or considered. I’ve learned to become very flexible.

CSP: What’s your favorite food?

French onion soup, or a good steak.

CSP: What’s your favorite movie?

Hm, that’s tough. I love basically all horror movies… but I’ll give the top spot to The Lost Boys (1987) — a campy 80s vampire flick that I absolutely adore.

CSP: Lastly, as a long-term sub, how long are you going to be teaching at West? What are your plans for the future?

I’m a first semester sub, so I’ll be here until the end of the second marking period in late January. My plans for the future are to keep teaching and to keep writing, and I’m very open to any paths these two passions lead me down.