Page 20 - Greet HWY 68 Loop 11.24

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

rs. Ball realized she wanted a career in anyone interested in pursuing a career in education, Mrs.
education early in life. “My dad was a teacher; Ball gives these words of wisdom; “It’s not a job you can just
Mreally, I come from a family of teachers; turn on and off when you come to work and when you leave.
it practically runs in my blood.” A driven student You’re always thinking about how to best help the students.”
herself, she pursued her teaching credentials as soon She adds that the job is the best, but while also difficult, it’s
as she started college, excited to share her knowledge never boring, and no day is ever the same.
and help young students. One might think teachers
have repetitive days; however, Mrs. Ball says that
couldn’t be further from the truth. “Every day is
different…every student is different, so the same
lesson in two different years isn’t the same either.”
If she had to describe the structure of her day, Sophia lives in Las Palmas with her
Mrs. Ball’s plan goes as such: students 2nd grade and family. She’s a student at Monterey
up come in and out of her classroom throughout the High and is excited to explore
day, and she teaches in small groups to help bring the career fields for herself, and
students up to grade level in subjects like math and fellow students looking to find a
language arts. field of study.
After the return to school from Covid restrictions,
she was hired as the intervention specialist to help High school and college students have a lot to
those students who needed extra support, but it was consider - future careers. Ask Sophia if you’d like
her to explore a specific career field of interest. Contact
quickly decided that her position was so important, that Laurie at Laurie.Martin@n2co.com to connect with Sophia.
the position was made permanent, and she continues
to help many students year after year. Helping these
students and seeing them progress throughout the
school year is truly a joy to Mrs. Ball, and she treasures
all the benefits that come with teaching.
Of course, we all know about summer break, but
according to Mrs. Ball, “It’s a much-needed mind
reset because the school year can be intense.” She
also loves that she gets to be more involved with
her kids while they attend Spreckels and to work
with such a great community of teachers. In her own
words, “Spreckels is amazing.”
While the benefits are fantastic, there are also
challenges and surprises that come with her career.
For one, she never knew she would think about the
students so much in her off-time, always trying
to think up more ways to keep them engaged and
elevate their learning experience. Challenges she
faces include those times when students are having
Exploring Careers struggles. These can make it difficult to persevere,
trouble making progress or having behavioral

but she’s always able to help her students get back
on track, helping them find new joy in learning and
remembering that everyone of every age has different
This month, I spoke to one of our local teachers, Mrs. Alisha Ball, an intervention specialist at qualities and attributes.
Spreckels Elementary School. Mrs. Ball has been teaching for 20 years and started out in the Sometimes, people forget that teachers work
Soledad School District. Mrs. Ball taught young students for eight years. She then spent two hard every day, getting there early and staying
years as an academic coach, teaching teachers. Mrs. Ball missed teaching kids and moved to late, all in an effort to help educate and care for
students of all ages. “These people work so hard…
the Spreckels School District, where she taught 4th grade at Spreckels Elementary until the we pick this profession to help each child do their
pandemic. When the schools opened back up, she was tasked with helping students “catch best.” As such, it’s important that our community
up” on academics they missed during the distance learning years. demonstrates grace and patience for teachers. For

BY SOPHIA RUTTSCHOW, LAS PALMAS

20 November 2024 Greet HWY 68 Loop 21