This is Megan Akdemir’s first year teaching at EJSHS. Let’s get to know our new staff member!
While this is her first year in this school, this is also her first school year of teaching ever! Before teaching her class at EHS, she was a student teacher following grad school.
Ms. Akdemir has mentioned that there were great behavioral struggles when she was student teaching, but she hasn’t noticed the same negative behavior in her students here. While starting here, she’s received help from multiple teachers, such as Mrs. Doyle, Ms. Vietri, Ms. Fleming, and Ms. Cook.
She’s made it clear how excited she is to work with all of us.
“I love most getting to connect with students and helping different kinds of learners. It’s nice getting to touch people who never thought they’d be good at something like math,” she stated.
Before starting here, her impressions of Emerson were positive: a family-focused town with a tight-knit community. She was hoping to find something like this, close to home, since she is far from it. Megan is the first Akdemir to live and work in the U.S, as her parents were born and raised in Turkey, Turkish is even her first language!
Beyond heritage, Akdemir shared a funny story: During her graduation, since it was during Covid, the students had a drive-out ceremony. In this, she stuck her head out the window, waving goodbye to her peers and teachers.
More personal than school, Akdemir chose adjectives to describe herself. First, “compassionate”, she always tries to think of how others are feeling. “Passionate”, in terms of how she cares for her job and the people she teaches. “Hardworking”, as she always gives 110% in what she does. Another thing, she’d want to fly given the chance, following her love for travel. Besides math, Akdemir enjoys the arts, like graphic art and music, but mostly choir.
Akdemir also had a bit of advice for her students: “You’re never given anything you can’t handle.”
She’s optimistic for this school year, believing the best is in store.
“I hope that all my students value the journey of going through high school as much as I did, and conquer the challenges every day, and remember there’s always light at the end of the tunnel,” she stated.
