Science teacher Ellen Janiga is retiring this year.
Janiga, who has been teaching since 1981, started off her career by being a long term substitute at the middle school in Berlin.
Initially, she taught math but switched to teaching science for 41 years.
“When I first started, I remember saying a school should be a safe environment for kids and I’ve always taught by that. I feel that everyone should feel safe and comfortable when they come into my room.” said Janiga.
“The most important part of teaching is talking to your students and really interacting with them,” she adds.
Janiga expressed her says that she is sad about retiring. “I really liked coming into school and being a part of the kids’ lives. I think the kids are so much fun. They keep me energetic. I’ll also miss my friends, the staff.”
Janiga says that she doesn’t have major plans after her retirement yet. “I have places to visit though, I have a lot of family all over the country,” Janiga says. Janiga also plans on attending classes at local colleges for enchirement.
Ms. Janiga says that she loves being a teacher and will miss teaching at Rocky Hill High School very much. “I have a lot of friends and they are like my second family,” Janiga said about the staff. Janiga has had a very positive experience teaching at Rocky Hill. “It’s like a family in this school. I don’t think a lot of schools have this. Other professions that I’ve had have never been like this. It’s just a great atmosphere” says Janiga.
Janiga’s main piece of advice for new teachers or aspiring teachers is to always interact with the students, “[The kids] want to share with you, they want to talk and they want you to hear their stories.”