Growing up senior Alexsa Alvarado always remembers assuming teachers didn’t leave the school building after school let out. There is a cafeteria for them to eat, and restrooms for them to use, and at that age Alvarado didn’t worry about where they must’ve showered. As she grew, Alvarado realized teachers didn’t live at the school. This is a continuing series, featuring the rogers of what life is like for teachers after the bell.
Walking into math teacher Lana Swanson’s room, her personality can be seen throughout the walls. The motivational quotes, butterflies and purple decor make her who she is after teaching for 27 years. Swanson teaches Pre-Calculus, Geometry, and Quantitative Reasoning.
“I use the quotes and posters as a way to remind students quietly that I am here for them,” Swanson said. “If they need a guide, an adult ear to listen, or someone to celebrate a special moment. ‘You are Enough’ is a powerful statement, and I want all of my students, friends and people around me to know that I believe in them, and they should too. I should not have more faith in someone than they have in themselves.”
For Swanson, motivating her students is the number one rule she stands by when teaching.
“In my opinion, a mathematics classroom can be a very intimidating environment,” Swanson said. “My goal is to alleviate the perceived stress so that students can naturally thrive.”
With this year being Swanson’s second year teaching at LHS, she has left a mark on students, especially from her Advanced Pre-Calculus class.
“Mrs. Swanson’s class brought me closer to a lot of people I already knew and brought me to new people I hadn’t met,” senior Jake Fincher said. “She was very kind and understanding, and she pushed me academically a lot.”
After a long day and the final bell ringing, Swanson likes to collect herself for the next day.
“I organize myself for the next day,” Swanson said. “I make copies if I need to, and I usually wait to see if any student walks in and needs help. It depends on the day, but I usually leave around four to come back to school the next day at seven.”
Even though Swanson spends most of her time in school throughout the week, she also has a love for cooking as well as spending time with her cats.
“I collect ‘unwanted; furbabies, a.k.a. stray pets,” Swanson said. “They come to my house sick, hurt, scared, or broken, and we love them, heal them, and give them all the attention they crave. Life is full with animals, and I tend to favor cats because of their independence. My soother is to cook. I love to watch people appreciate the food I make, so when I cook anything and they come back for seconds, that is my favorite thing. Whether it’s a birthday cake or a meal, I love to fix special meals.”
Outside of school, Swanson likes to do many activities with her husband, her best friend.
“In order to be a true friend, you have to trust someone and be worthy of the same trust,” Swanson said. “Jim knows all of my secrets, all of my goals, hopes and aspirations. When we met, we met in college, and we began to go fishing as an escape from the stresses of college and found that we both loved the water. Life became more fulfilling and easier to navigate with a partner who cared about my success as much as he cared about his own. Together, forever, is our plan.”
Swanson’s passion has always been empowering youth to make positive changes in their own lives and their academics.
“Teaching people something they didn’t know is exhilarating,” Swanson said. “The sense of joy it gives me is like a craving that I need. I need to see people learn and enjoy the process of learning. I feel that I have a talent for encouraging people to push themselves to learn more than they thought possible. When a student tells me that he or she never did well in math, or that they hated math, then the same student performs outstanding on a quiz or a test, I feel the excitement they have and the pride they feel.”
It’s beneficial for kids to have a support structure in place. Swanson impacts lives in addition to helping them. Room E226 is where students can find her if any student needs help with math or a person to talk to.
“At the end of the day, I want my students to know that I have their back,” Swanson said. “I will support them in any way that I can because I believe in ‘paying it forward; and helping people because it is the right thing to do, not because someone is watching.”
