by Zack Christner
English teacher Nicole Salisbury is finishing up her school year and her time teaching at Elwood High School. Salisbury has taught junior high English, taught electives, coached the speech team, and sponsored the yearbook. She took a few minutes to reflect on her experiences teaching here.
Salisbury said she has some fond memories of teaching at Elwood.
“I have been blessed with getting to teach some great students. I won’t forget them and everything they taught me about being a teacher,” said Salisbury. “Some of my favorite memories are of being a speech coach. It’s amazing getting to see students grow and gain confidence through competition. And the trips are a great way to get to know students outside of a classroom setting. We had a lot of fun!”
She offered simple advice to other teachers: be flexible.
“One of the best pieces of advice I got when I started teaching was to be flexible and ready for anything,” she explained. “It’s important to have plans for each class, but there are a lot of variables in education. You have to be ready to pivot and change plans when you need to.”
Salisbury says it’s important for students to use high school as a place to explore ideas.
“I would recommend that students try new things and explore their options in classes. They may stumble upon something they didn’t even know they like or are good at,” said Salisbury. “This is the time to try new activities. Make the most of your high school years.”
Salisbury will be teaching English at Lincoln Northeast High School next year. She said she is looking forward to more time with her family in Lincoln.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to teach at Elwood. I have some good friends here; I’ll miss them and all my students,” she said.