While Mrs. Bewick is out on maternity leave, Ms. Judge is ecstatic to take over.
Ms. Judge is having a phenomenal time in Wantagh so far and is thrilled she was given this opportunity. She grew up in Nassau County so she is familiar with the area. Education has always been important to her and she hopes to pass on her love for education to her students. She believes it is important for students to genuinely like to learn and have a thirst for knowledge.
“I try to associate humor into lessons and make things relatable for my students,” she said. Connecting things is very important to her because she believes that her students will have more to think about if they do such. Additionally, she believes she is caring and understanding which acts as a helpful factor on both her end, and her students end. Ms. Judge doesn’t teach just to teach, she does it because she finds it enjoyable and interesting. “It’s fun; you get to teach the children that are going to graduate and hopefully use the skills you’ve taught them to better themselves and the world,” she said. “The goal is making it a fun experience that they’ll remember.”
While teaching has its perks, she believes that a major downfall is that there is ‘so much to teach, and so little time. It’s difficult picking and choosing what to focus on… everything is important.’ In order to accomplish as much as she can, her students must cooperate and do their end. She expects her students to be prepared and to learn while participating. She wants them to try to connect and gain an authentic understanding. Ms. Judge also sincerely wants her students to read outside class.
Ms. Judge particularly complimented team-teaching. “It’s a great approach; I’ve always been a team player,” she said. “It meets the needs of students and I love teaching with Mrs. Watkins and Ms. Fiorillo.” The curriculum she teaches mainly revolves around reading. She wants them to learn that stories are repetitive and that they connect people.
Her classes are currently reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. She believes her class is enjoying it, and she laughed as she explained her favorite character was of course Pip.
She learned a lot so far teaching at Wantagh but she specifically is continuing to learn about our high school students in general such as their likes, dislikes, and most importantly – how they learn. She believes Wantagh is a “close knit and very spirited community… there is a good relationship between teachers and students.” Ms. Judge had worked at Herricks School District prior coming to Wantagh. This is Ms. Judge’s first teaching experience, and she is fortunate to have such a great group of students. She believes Wantagh is a good place to work and doesn’t plan to leave Wantagh when Mrs. Bewick resumes. Instead, she hopes to be subbing.
While she was growing up, she was very athletic and involved in several sports. She loved soccer and basketball specifically and actively participated in both. Overall, Ms. Judge is a very knowledgeable, inspiring woman that Wantagh is very lucky to have.