Every school year new teachers are hired for different subjects, including Kearns High School. This year, Kearns has hired a total of eleven new teachers. One of the most notable is Michelle Florida, the new fashion design and culinary teacher.

Originally from the Philippines, Ms. Florida shares with her classes the fashion back in her home country and the differences between the United States and the Philippines. When asked how different being a teacher in the Philippines is compared to the United States, Florida replied with,  “Yeah, it’s very different, in a way. First, in terms of technology, in the country I’m from I used to teach on a soil floor, so when it rains the floor is muddy. We didn’t use a whiteboard, instead we used a chalkboard, and we didn’t use a smartboard either. Everything here is different and everything is provided.”

The adjustments to the United States have been difficult for Ms. Florida, as she states that, “Adjusting to the United States is hard before, I was excited but it was much more difficult to go inside the U.S. It’s hard because I have never been to the U.S. before and the traditions here are different from my country.” Every new teacher has to find a way to balance their work and get used to different surroundings and unfamiliar faces. It can be difficult, especially for teachers who are new to the area as well as the school, to adapt to the expectations and traditions a different school has to offer.

Overall, each teacher has to overcome challenges when teaching at a new school as there are times where they have to teach an extra subject that they weren’t fully expecting to teach. This year, Ms. Florida is teaching fashion design for the first time, which is also a learning experience for her as well as her students. As Florida states, “In the U.S. you have four seasons, but I used to be in a country that only has rain and sun so we only dressed the way we want. It’s also a learning experience for me, because it’s my first time having the winter here. We get to explore how we dress up for different seasons and how this improves our day to day living.”