Features

By Sophia Florence and Claire Powell

Annie Haftl,  who joined the SLA community for the school year and goes by Teacher Annie, is working as a student teacher for Mr. Henkel’s science classes. Their presence brings engaging excitement and opportunities to the classroom for all students. Although they haven’t been here long, they have already made a long lasting impression on the SLA community.

Early Experiences

Growing up in a town called Thorton, located in Delaware county, Annie knew from a young age what they loved. 

“From the time I was very little, it became apparent to both me and my parents that I was interested in science in ways that other kids were not. I was really interested in collecting bugs.”

Annie had journals filled with observations of the natural world around them, “Pretty early on I realized I was really interested in natural science.” 

In school, Annie was then exposed to an incredible science education through an organization called “Science Olympian.” The club helps students They explained this club as a way for students to explore different science fields without the pressure of grades, and this is what  led Annie into their exploration of different sciences.

College

They stayed in Delaware county until moving to Philadelphia to continue their college education at Drexel, where they started studying forensic science, earning their masters and bachelors degrees. Teacher Annie also focused on  biochemistry and earth science, and was considering a future in research. However, their perspective changed 

“I quickly realized that research and academia university structure in general is a much larger, more scary version of public schooling.” 

The isolation of the pandemic also forced Annie to rethink their career choices. 

“ I realized what I’m really passionate about is one,  obviously science. And two, making sure that science is accessible to everyone.” 

The  good and bad teachers Annie encountered in high school also influenced 

“My very first chemistry class ever, the teacher basically told me I was an idiot.” Annie wants to make sure students are not scared of science by discouraging educators.

“Making sure everybody knows that you don’t have to be really smart or really good at anything to do well at science and it’s really for everybody.”

SLA

The SLA community has surprised Annie. Supplies are widely available at this school, which  makes it much easier for classes to be hands-on and more creative. Progressive teaching styles also opened a whole new world of opportunities for students at SLA. 

The resources and flexibility has resulted in a positive response from Teacher Annie’s students. Senior Paula Vekker stated that, “I have really enjoyed teacher Annie’s lessons, just the few days they’ve been here. The lesson plans are engaging to make me want to learn more and focus.” 

“Teacher Annie’s classes are entertaining and optimistic,” Senior Isabella Boix added. “It’s refreshing to see a new teacher that can offer so much knowledge on the topic of science.”

Annie has big ideas that they want to make a reality within the Philadelphia School District. Either this year or in the future, they want to establish a Science Olympiad so that more kids can have the opportunity to explore science outside of the classroom in an interactive and engaging way.

By Harper Leary and Adrie Young

More Than an Interpreter

As the only person in the SLA building who is permitted to enter with a face shield, she may have stood out to you around school. Interpreter Alex Miller is a recent addition to the SLA community. She has the unique position of interpreting for Sophie Zawislak, a freshman who is deaf. 

“I really enjoy having her as an interpreter, we have a great relationship with each other and it’s really nice to have someone who you have a bond with especially when you are seeing them every day,” Zawislak said.

While her job is an uncommon one, her hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. She accompanies Zawislak to all of her classes and translates practically everything; comments from her peers, instructions and lessons from her teachers, and more. Ms. Miller provides the crucial connection for Zawislak that makes her learning possible.

Early Life and Education

Ms. Miller grew up in Bucks County. Her childhood best friend was deaf, and she learned to sign because of her. Ms. Miller’s parents also thought it was important for her to learn a second verbal language from a young age. She started taking Spanish classes before school on Wednesdays when she was six.

These early experiences encouraged  Ms. Miller to develop a love for language. She attended college in Bloomsburg, PA; Bloomsburg University is one of the few schools in the state that has sign language interpreting, which interested her. Ms. Miller has a bachelor’s degree in science and American sign language interpreting, a bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and culture, and a minor in linguistics.

As an Interpreter

Ms. Miller has interpreted for college classes, high schools, hospitals, and even a podcast where she translated Spanish into ASL.

She said that one of the hardest parts of her job is the physical exhaustion from signing all day long. Interpreting can also be mentally taxing, because she is constantly switching back and forth between English, ASL, and even Spanish.

Ms. Miller also mentioned how difficult the social stigma around the deaf community can be. 

“Sometimes people don’t really know what to do with me, or they don’t let me in the room, so there’s a lot of advocacy that I have to do in my life, to be like, your patient has to communicate with you, and they can’t hear you, if I’m not there, how’s that gonna happen?” she said about interpreting for doctor’s appointments.

Even with all of the difficulties of being an interpreter, Ms. Miller still loves her job and how she can connect people together. She mentioned the lightbulb she sees go off when working with someone and how special it is to be a part of that.

“It’s cool because [Ms. Miller] helps me talk with [Sophie], in ways that are not just lessons. Normally with kids, I’ll tease them and stuff like that. It’s cool that she can translate those things too, so I can make faces at her and tease her and stuff like that,” English Teacher Mr. Kay said about working with Ms. Miller and Zawislak. 

A World Traveler

Ms. Miller has a passion for visiting foreign countries.

 “I love going and learning about cultures, learning about how different people do things; I just love it—going outside of the big sites and seeing how people really live. The world is so big; there’s so much to do, there’s so much to see, there’s so much to learn,” she said. She’s already traveled to almost thirty countries, and still wants to go to Antarctica, see the Northern Lights, and visit every continent. 

As a fluent Spanish speaker, Ms. Miller took the opportunity to spend a year abroad in Argentina near the Paraguay border. There, she taught English to kids, many of whom were already bilingual. 

She emphasized how important it is to study abroad. “I honestly cannot stress enough if you have the opportunity to study abroad, do it! As long as you can, as much as you can, anywhere you can. You will never get another experience like that again.”

While Ms. Miller travels for enjoyment and cultural exposure, she also finds it important to give back, which is why she has done international service.