It may be Mrs. St Jame’s first year at Deep Run, but it definitely isn’t her first year teaching. She has almost been teaching for 20 years. In addition, she has had the opportunity to teach at many different levels and different subjects.
“I began by teaching pre-kindergarten in a private school outside of Atlanta. I did that for one year. Then I moved to Virginia and taught 6th and 7th grade English at Lawson-Marriott Elementary School in King and Queen County for two years. After that, I taught mass communication and English at The Center for Communications and media relations at Varina High School for 15 years,” Mrs. St. James said.
Although she loved teaching at Varina, she felt it was time for a change.
“I loved working at The Center for Communications, but after 15 years, I needed something different. It was time for a change. I knew some great people who were already working at Deep Run, so that was a big incentive. Also, for many years I have taught at the county AP Saturday prep sessions. I was always so impressed with the Deep Run students. Their passion for learning made me want to teach here,” said Mrs. St. James.
She attended Mary Washington for her undergraduate degrees in English and French Literature, and then went to Georgia State University for her graduate degree in film.
“I wanted to study everything in school, and I tried to. But I settled on English because I love great stories, and I added a French major because becoming fluent in French had been my goal since I was an exchange student in France during high school. I chose film for graduate school because I have a passion for movies and for being creative,” Mrs. St. James said.
After college, her love for education and helping people led her to becoming a teacher.
“I was always drawn to the profession. Even when I worked in film and television, I worked in educational programming. I like exploring fascinating subjects with people who want to learn,” said Mrs. St. James.
So far, she has enjoyed her students the most.
“There is a lot to love here, so it’s hard to choose, but I have to say that the students are my favorite part. They are interested, funny, motivated, and really just nice people. I love my classes,” Mrs. St. James said.
Mrs. St James looks forward to her first year. She will be teaching English 12 and AP English Language and Composition.