By SANDI SHAO
While most people dream of a job in the music industry, Jericho’s new English Language Arts teacher Ms. Zimmerman left her music career behind to pursue teaching instead.
Ms. Zimmerman enjoys teaching because it allows her to experience adolescents’ growth. She has a passion for teaching English because it gives her the luxury of having a connection with students and having “the students connect themselves with what they’re reading.”
Ms. Zimmerman’s students find her to be fun and eager. Freshman Winnie L. said, “At first I thought she would be a little strict, but she turned out to be a lot nicer than I expected! She’s really enthusiastic about teaching.”
Taking a break from her computer, Ms. Zimmerman interacts with students in the classroom.
Mrs. Zimmerman’s original career was a job in media, specifically music. She really loves music and going to music festivals, which drew her into working in the industry. However, the reality was different from her expectations, and she didn’t feel it was the right job for her. She decided to go teach abroad and soon realized that she loved working with students. “It felt like I wasn’t working, in a good way,” she said.
Ms. Zimmerman started working towards getting a master’s degree in English. “It’s so funny because now, when people meet me they ask me what I do and I say I’m a teacher. They say, ‘I could see that’, and I’m like, ‘Really? I wonder what took me so long!’” she said.
Since receiving her master’s degree, Ms. Zimmerman has gained 8 years of experience, teaching in Manhattan and in Roslyn. Ms. Zimmerman recently earned her certification in English as a New Language, and is excited to teach English language learners.
In her free time, Ms. Zimmerman likes to travel to places like Vermont where she can enjoy nature. She and her husband like to go hiking along with their dog. Ms. Zimmerman also loves discovering new music genres and artists. “I like all different kinds of music. Last year, for some reason I was really into pop music. I really like Justin Bieber,” she said.