Kathlyn Hill is Malden High School’s newest edition to the English department. Hill is from Anchorage, Alaska and earned her bachelor degree at the University of Alaska Anchorage and her Masters degree at Willamette University in Oregon. She has five younger siblings with whom she completed summer school with every year as a child, sparking her interest in education. She has wanted to become a teacher ever since she was young because she “really loves people and English” and thought teaching encompassed both of her interests. This year, Hill is teaching English 9 college prep and honors to freshmen as well as Dramatic Literature to seniors.
Although she believes every subject is of equal importance, she considers English a valuable and useful subject because a person learns “to express [themselves] in writing and think for [themselves], question things, [it] enables [them] to understand what [they] read, what the text is saying and how it applies to [them] as a person.” English class allows students to talk about their experiences and the -ways in which they are relevant to what they are learning.
Sean Walsh, the head of the English department here at MHS, is very impressed with Hill as she has “already shown a commitment to Malden and her students” by “viewing students as scholars and treats [them with respect]” so early in her time here. He has observed that she “brings tons of energy and great experience to the classroom”. He believes her “incredible knowledge about the subject matter and teaching practices” will help her easily “engage students, because [she] is a great team player in working with the curriculum”. Walsh notices that Hill has “a passion for [her]work that shows”.
In her free time, Hill enjoys hiking, spending time with friends, cooking, traveling, playing the kazoo, and air hockey. One of her favorite poems is “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S Eliot. She is also a fan of the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. Even though it is a story of the destruction of a civilization, she appreciates the story because Achebe’s writing “helps [people] understand culture, and understand that sometimes things [people] dismiss are not important and what [they] do not understand actually has a lot of worth.”
Hill is extremely pleased with MHS and describes it as “well-organized.” She added that the teachers are “positive” and put the students’ interests first. She enjoys having students of different backgrounds in her classroom who are motivated to learn. Being a part of MHS’s upbeat community of educators and learners is a thrilling experience for Hill. Walsh expressed that “she is a great addition to an already English department” and he “looks forward to seeing how she inspires freshmen this year.”
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