Sports science is a growing field in virtually all athletic endeavors, but for new staff member Jill Bradshaw, it means something a little different as she teaches physics and coaches volleyball. Recently she sat down with Wingspan to help us learn more about her goals and interests.

Wingspan: How long have you been teaching?

Bradshaw: “This is going on, my fifth year teaching at the high school level.”

Wingspan: In that time what have you learned about the younger generations?

Bradshaw: “About the younger generation is that they are a lot of fun, they like to have fun. Whenever they need to be serious, they are normally pretty good about doing so. Like, they are just a lot of fun to teach.”

Wingspan: What was it like working with all of the players?

Bradshaw: “Busy! I got to meet all of the kids, which was a great opportunity for me. And I just realized how really big it was, how big Liberty is. I’m coming from a small, 2A school before this.”

Wingspan: What would make this first year here a success for you athletic-wise?

Bradshaw: “Athletic- wise would be, of course, to have a successful season both for volleyball, which we’ve already started- and having a very successful season, so far. So that’s exciting. For softball, would just be to keep working, make playoffs, of course would be the number one goal, and from there have a good postseason.”

Wingspan: What is the hardest thing about teaching physics?

Bradshaw: “The hardest thing about physics, maybe just because it’s a lot of math-based, and maybe because students don’t realize that it is so math-based when first coming in. So getting them on-board with that and getting them excited about doing math. That’s kinda hard for some students, but in the gist of it, it’s still like real-world experience. So it’s math, but it’s also ‘why is it acting that way’ in real life. Like you’ll see it happen.”

Wingspan: You transition nearly every day from coaching to teaching, does coaching help you teach or vice versa?

Bradshaw: “Yes, for sure. A lot of teaching and coaching is about energy, about the energy I bring to certain things. So, I love physics, I love volleyball, and I love softball. So I’m not having to worry about overcoming negative energy because, in my life that is all positive energy. I like to share that love, that passion I have. So it’s spread out though all of it.”

Wingspan: What are your favorite hobbies?

Bradshaw: “Well when I have time, usually I don’t have time for this stuff, but I love going to movies. I’m a big movie goer. I like to play golf. I don’t get to go very often at all, but I do have my own golf clubs and I like to play. I’m not very good, but I enjoy it. I like rock-climbing, again just really don’t have time. And it’s just the indoor rock-climbing, none of that outdoor stuff that could actually hurt me. Other than that, just watching sports, going to sports events. I’ll go watch the Rangers, go watch the Mavs, just whoever I can get to.”

Wingspan: What is your favorite song?

Bradshaw: “There’s a lot of them. My physics hasn’t gotten the privilege yet, but I listen to a lot of Disney music. A lot. Other than that, just anything that has a good beat, I guess. Probably something from the Pitch Perfect soundtrack.”

Transitioning from teaching middle school to high school can be a difficult task, however one teacher’s strong passion for English and literature motivated him to take on the challenge and pursue a teaching career here on campus. Wingspan’s Melody Tavallaee sat down with English teacher and soccer coach John Singleton to talk about his transition and working here at school.

Wingspan: How long did you teach for before coming here on campus?

Singleton: “This is my twelfth year to teach. I started out teaching in Lewisville ISD and taught there for three years before I came to Frisco; where I spent my entire time between then and now teaching at Fowler Middle School, with the exception of last year, I taught in a small town outside of Houston.”

Wingspan: Did you prefer teaching middle school or high school better?

Singleton: “Well they both have their own benefits and their own challenges. One of the things that I really like about high school is the chance to get to work with older kids and students who are a little bit more mature.”

Wingspan: What has been the most rewarding part of teaching here at school?

Singleton: “Well it’s early yet, so it might be too early to tell. One of the things that’s most rewarding about teaching in general is the chance to get to work with young people and to help them get closer to achieving their goals. At Liberty, one of the things I’m excited about is working with some kids that I’ve already known before and seeing them in a more grown up version than I used to know them at middle school.”

Wingspan: How does it feel whenever you see your old students now in high school?

Singleton: “I really enjoy it and I like getting to talk to them about the things that they’ve done between then and now. So many of them have become really successful and really good at a wide range of things, whether it be sports and fine arts or their academic careers and I love to get to hear about it.”

Wingspan: What made you choose to become an English teacher?

Singleton: “Well, I love language and so helping people learn how to use language to communicate is something that I really enjoy. I enjoy the process of helping people to learn writing. I also really enjoy helping them to discover literature.”

Wingspan: Can you describe some of the biggest changes between teaching high school and middle school?

Singleton: “I would say some of the biggest differences are students are older and they have more to say and they have a more mature voice with which to say it. So if you want to get the best out of students you have to treat them in a more grown up manner here than you did in middle school. There are a lot of things that are the same though. They are still young people, they still want to be treated well, and it’s still very important to them to know that you care about them.”

Wingspan: When you are at school, how would your ideal day go?

Singleton: “My ideal day would be a lot of interaction with students, getting to talk through the good ideas that they have, and absolutely no papers to grade.”

Wingspan: And if you weren’t at school, what would your ideal day look like?

Singleton: “If I were not at school, my ideal day would be spent with my family, getting to get outside and play with my kids, getting to watch a little bit of soccer on TV, and, again, absolutely no papers to grade.”

Wingspan: What would you say your biggest accomplishment was and how did you you feel when you received it?

Singleton: “That’s a great question. Well, my biggest accomplishment is not in a single moment. My biggest accomplishment is raising my own children and that is still an ongoing process. It is incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding everyday.”

Wingspan: What do you like to do in your free time?

Singleton: “In my free time I love anything to do with soccer. Playing it, watching it, coaching it, reading blogs about it, listening to podcasts about it, rooting for my two favorite teams- other than Liberty High School- FC Dallas and West Ham United. I also really enjoy cooking.”

Wingspan: What is something on your bucket list that you want the most and how do you expect it to go?

Singleton: “I would love, someday, to go to England and visit the home of my favorite English soccer team, West Ham United, and watch a game there. I hope it will go with my team winning.”

Wingspan: Can you describe yourself in three words?

Singleton: “Well anyone who knows me knows that three words is nearly an impossibility because I use a lot of words. If I had to give three words though, I would say passionate, sometimes dry, that counts for two, I know, so technically that’s three, and I would say interested. I am interested in our students.”

With the start of the new 2016-17 school year, the school welcomes a new biology teacher, Richard Sabatier. Wingspan stopped by his classroom to get to know him, and introduce him to everyone on campus.

Wingspan: Tell me about your journey to becoming a teacher and your time at college.

Sabatier: “I went to LSU, and they have this program there called Geaux Teach, where you major in a subject and then you take a concentration in secondary education. So I did that, I got my major in biology, and did my student teaching in central Louisiana. It’s great, and now I’m here.”

Wingspan: What drew you to becoming a teacher and your interest in biology?

Sabatier: “Well I thought that I was going to be a doctor, because my dad was a doctor and my mom was a nurse, and I got into it, and I said I really didn’t want to do that, so I figured that I’d give teaching a whirl to see if I liked it. The program I was in was taking a lot of field experience, and I put a lot of practice in it. I did it and I liked it, so I stuck with it.”

Wingspan: This being your first year teaching, what are some things that you are looking forward to?

Sabatier: “Getting into my groove, having a routine, and getting to know students well.”

Wingspan: If you had not decided on teaching biology, what occupation would you see yourself having today?

Sabatier: “Probably doing some sort of biology research, maybe the ecological research field and stuff like that.”

Wingspan: What are some special things that you might have planned for this year?

Sabatier: “I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow. After I finish the EOC, we’ll have more free time to do cool stuff then, but I’m not sure, we’ll see what happens.”

Wingspan: What made you decide to come teach here on our campus?

Sabatier: “My fiancee is going to grad school at UT Dallas, so I wanted to come with her. Frisco ISD actually came to a job fair at LSU, and I really liked them, and Liberty, I guess liked me, so here we are!”

Wingspan: What is something that your students and most people would not know about you?

Sabatier: “I don’t know, I’m pretty open. I guess in the classroom, I’m pretty out there, loud, and voicerous, but I’m a very reserved and quiet person in real life.”

Wingspan: When you are not teaching biology classes, what could your students find you doing?

Sabatier: “Playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing video games. I like to read, and other nerd stuff.”

Wingspan: If there is one thing you would like people to know about you, what would it be?

Sabatier: “I’m really friendly, so if you’ll be nice to me, I’ll be nice to you.”

The new school year has brought a new School Resource Officer to campus. Wingspan recently sat down with the newest SRO, Officer Glen Hubbard.

Wingspan: What did you do before you became an SRO?

Hubbard: “I was a detective before, for nine years, and then a regular officer before that for six. So I’ve been a cop for nineteen years.”

Wingspan: What made you decide you wanted to become an SRO?

Hubbard: “Well, after doing the detective thing for nine years, I think I needed a change. I got a little burned out. I wanted a more positive environment and a change basically. Other SRO’s I’ve talked to liked it a lot so I thought I’d give it a shot.”

Wingspan: How do you feel about working here?

Hubbard: “I like it, I like it a lot. It’s really nice. I enjoy coming into work, everybody’s really great and I just look forward to helping everybody out and doing what I can. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Wingspan: What are some challenges that you think you might have to face?

Hubbard: “Basically, my biggest challenge is remembering everyone’s name. I’ve been introduced to a hundred people and I can’t remember their names. I see the in the hall and say ‘Hey…I’m sorry.’ Just getting a routine down so I feel comfortable basically.”

Wingspan: What does a normal school day look like for you, what kind of tasks do you complete during the day?

Hubbard: “Usually when I get here I check the parking lots, you know just making sure everyone’s getting in and there’s no problems with carpool as far as the line for drop off and traffic out front. I check general safety out there and then I’ll stand around and walk around and make sure everything’s running smoothly and nobody’s having any tiffs. I make sure that nobody is trying to get into the school who’s not supposed to be here and just making all the frowns when they get off the bus turn into smiles. They come off looking like they’re going to prison and I’m like ‘Smile it’s not that bad!’”

Wingspan: What did you do during the process of becoming an SRO?

Hubbard: “We had an interview process. We had to submit a letter, a memo, of what we’ve done in the police department, what we’ve done to prepare for it, what we think our strengths and weaknesses are and what we could bring to the unit. We then submit that and then they go through your background and your packet and make sure you don’t have any complaints or crazy stuff or gotten in trouble much. Then, we had to have a board interview which was with the chief, several sergeants and a lieutenant. There were like six people in there and they just fired questions at you regarding juvenile law and how we handle school stuff and I got selected, so it turned out good for me.”

Wingspan: What is it that you’re looking forward to the most and what is it you’re the most worried about?

Hubbard: “I’m looking forward to just being involved in a real positive environment. Hopefully I can help some folks out. I know kids have a lot of questions about driving and stuff because you guys are growing up, starting adult life and things like that. I just hope I can help out there in a different way than just enforcing stuff. As far as my concerns, I just hope nothing bad ever happens. If it does, hopefully I’m prepared for it.”

The school year has brought fresh, new teachers to campus. Wingspan recently sat down with one of the new Spanish teachers, Marcela Vicente, who is eager to teach students everything they need to know about her primary language.

Wingspan: How long have you been a teacher?

Vicente: “For two years.”

Wingspan: What do you think is the hardest part about being a teacher?

Vicente: “I think it’s trying to get to all of the students.”

Wingspan: What are your daily rituals that you do in order to prepare for class?

Vicente: “I always try to arrive always early and I try to review my lesson plans and try to see if I have all of the copies and have everything that I need to prepare for class.”

Wingspan: Have you taught other subjects besides Spanish?

Vicente: “No, just Spanish.”

Wingspan: In your personal opinion, do you think students should try and get into language classes?

Vicente: “Yes, I think learning new languages is very important, especially Spanish because here you have students that can speak Spanish. I think it is a good way for you to get more things in the future because you will need Spanish in the future.”

Wingspan: Do you have any advice for people who want to learn a new language?

Vicente: “They have to try harder because sometimes they arrive and think that this will be an easy class because Spanish is super easy–it’s not. I think Spanish requires a lot of work not just from the teacher but from the students especially..”

Wingspan: Have you ever lived in or visited a Spanish-speaking country?

Vicente: “I’m actually from Argentina, and I’ve lived all of my life in Argentina. I also used to live in Mexico. I lived there for two years.”

Wingspan: Have you ever found yourself thinking in English but speaking in Spanish? Or vice versa?

Vicente: “Yes, all of the time. I’m thinking in Spanish but I’m trying to speak in English. I try to think more in English when I’m speaking in English, and thinking in Spanish while I’m speaking in Spanish.

Wingspan: What’s the best part about teaching?

Vicente: “I love my language, so teaching my own language is very good. I really like to teach my own language and I really like when the students are engaged in the class and they are learning and they are trying. I really love when they try hard.”

Wingspan: Do you think the school gives people enough opportunities to learn new languages?

Vicente: “Yes, I think so because here you have Spanish, French, Chinese and ESL, so I think you have more than enough opportunities to learn them.”

There’s a new face teaching an old subject as Alyssa Webb is the newest AP U.S. History teacher on campus. Recently, Wingspan caught up with Webb to discuss some of the things she likes about teaching at a new school and what the teacher life is all about.

Wingspan: What are some of the things that persuaded you to teach?

Webb: “I had heard what a great school Liberty was and what a great place it was to work. It was a great social studies department to be part of, so those are some of the things that I was looking forward to”

Wingspan: What are some of the things you look forward to this year?

Webb: ”I’m looking forward to being on the same campus as my sister, and to having another great year in AP U.S. History, and teaching on-level U.S. and having fun with it.”

Wingspan: What are some challenges that come with being a teacher?

Webb: “Not enough hours in the day to get everything done, and having a lot of preparation and reading to do outside of class.”

Wingspan: How long have you been teaching for, and how long in Frisco?

Webb: “This is my ninth year teaching, and my ninth year teaching in Frisco ISD. I started here right out of college.”

Wingspan: What things do you enjoy the most about being a teacher?

Webb: “I enjoy the other teachers that I had a chance to teach with and the content that I get to teach.”

Wingspan: What is your biggest pet peeve that a student may do in class?

Webb: “My biggest pet peeve would be talking while I am talking, or playing on their phone while we were supposed to be focused on something else.”

Wingspan: What is your most preferred food to eat, and why?

Webb: “My favourite food is almonds, any flavor, by themselves or in other things.”

Wingspan: Since you’re a U.S. history teacher, what is one thing you would go back in time and do?

Webb: “There’s too many choices. I think I’d want to be there for the debates, when forming the Constitution, to hear how the Founding Fathers originally intended it.”

Wingspan: What makes this campus different than any other one you’ve taught at?

Webb: “It has little differences, but there’s a lot of similarities because it’s another Frisco ISD high school so we have a lot of the same goals. I am very impressed however at how student-focused the campus is, and how welcoming everybody has been.”