To be or not to be.
A new English teacher at Iola High School will help students address the proverbial question.
Emily Hampton, the new freshmen English teacher, hopes to inspire her students to grab onto Shakespeare as well as other great writers.
“I would like to have them re-write it into a modern form to help them understand it better,” she said. “I also want to split the class up into the Capulets and the Montagues and help them understand why they got their names,” she said of Shakespeare’s play, “Romeo and Juliet.”
Hampton comes from a family of teachers who sparked her interest in becoming one herself.
“I grew up with my mom in school,” she said. “At first I went to culinary school but realized this is what I wanted to do. The classroom is home to me.”
She lived in Ottawa and attended Central Heights High School. She earned her bachelor of science degree in education from Emporia State University.
“I knew about Iola when I was in high school,” she said. That familiarity helped Hampton decide to accept the position at IHS.
“I knew about the community and it seemed like the right size school for me.”
On top of teaching English, Hampton will also instruct the introduction class to photography. Hampton is no stranger to a camera lens. She has three professional photographers in her family.
“We will learn the different aspects of photography, different careers in the field and keep a photo journal,” she said.
In her spare time Hampton said she enjoys watching her brother play football at Emporia State. She is the oldest of three. She also enjoys do-it-yourself projects.
“I like to do hands-on projects,” she said. “I enjoy cooking, knitting, crocheting and cross-stitching.”
This is Hampton’s first year teaching.
New teacher aims to bring the classics alive
