One of the many new teachers at Hawthorne High School is English teacher, Shaina Tullo.  Ms. Tullo teaches English 1 Honors, English Π CP, and English III CP.  This is her first year teaching at HHS.  Before she became a Hawthorne Bear, Ms. Tullo taught at Bergen Arts High School in Hackensack, NJ.  To find out more about Ms. Tullo, The Clarion had the pleasure of interviewing her via email and asking her a few questions.

Clarion Reporter: How long have you been an English teacher?

Ms. Tullo: This is my fifth year teaching English; although, while I was a student at Seton Hall I worked as a teaching assistant co-teaching undergraduate English courses.

Clarion Reporter: What inspired you to become an English teacher?

Ms. Tullo: I am one of the rare lucky people who always knew what I wanted to do. Throughout all of my school years, I had a lot of support from my teachers. I also took great comfort in reading.  Growing up in an economically disadvantaged position made certain aspects of my childhood very hard, but always having support from teachers and a good book to get lost in made everything easier.

Clarion Reporter: What is your absolute favorite thing about English and literature?

Ms. Tullo: My favorite aspect of literature is how much it reflects life and how much it teaches us.  Literature isn’t about reading—it is about connecting with other humans.  For me, it is so amazing that someone from a different time period or culture can express thoughts that we ourselves feel.  It is about communicating and sharing experiences.  For me, there is no more interesting subject to study.

Clarion Reporter: What do you like most about working here at HHS?

Ms. Tullo: My favorite part of HHS is the students.  When I left my old school, I was very sad to have broken the bond with my students there.  But, I have been so impressed by the intelligence and good heartedness of the students in the HHS family.  There isn’t a single day that goes by where a student doesn’t bring a smile to my face.