Ms. Reed: Triple Threat

Introducing Elleizabeth, otherwise known by the Galloway community as Ms. Reed. While you might not know her stage name, Ms. Reed is a triple threat. Singer, songwriter, English teacher (definitely missing a few other things in that description). I interviewed Ms. Reed, a high school English teacher here at Galloway, and I learned many interesting things. In 2009, Ms. Reed decided to pursue singing. She ended up making two entire albums through the course of five years with “Glass Owl Records”. These albums can be streamed on Apple Music and Spotify. Elleizabeth’s music consists of folk songwriting created to capture feelings of nostalgia. 

Instead of singing to her stuffed animals, like some kids do, at age six, she taught them. They didn’t listen very well. Singing was always an idea, but teaching was her passion. Staying after school to write on her teacher’s chalkboard in first grade, it has always been clear to Ms. Reed that she loved teaching. She began teaching elementary school but later realized she preferred teaching older groups, like high schoolers. Patience is a virtue, and teachers must have it. Teaching third graders and then switching to high schoolers was a big adjustment, but patience is the one thing that stuck. Ms. Reed struggled as a high school student, and there was a comforting aspect to being a support system for students. As a high school teacher, she was able to lead more in-depth conversations concerning serious topics rather than censoring her idea, which she values.

Ms. Reed is the teacher with the guitar in her room, with the free-writes and discussions, the feeling of home when you walk into class. Ms. Reed makes her classroom a home for the short time we are in her class, and it shows. In Ms. Reed’s class, learning is never a “chore.” She believes that even high schoolers deserve to play, which is why she implements five-minute breaks in her curriculum; my sanity thanks her. Playing on the playground isn’t just for five-year-olds- it’s also for fifteen-year-olds. Creating these bonds over taking a step back is really important, especially with current events. The ninth graders are currently reading Speak, a former banned book. This book dives into difficult topics like PTSD, consent, and SA. Ms. Reed believes it’s very important to implement these complicated conversations about consent into our high school minds. Controversial topics are things we need to talk about, especially since we don’t really talk about consent often in high school. Throughout the years, Ms. Reed has grown as a teacher and helped young minds learn to the best of their abilities. We thank her for her continuous support of the student body and the Galloway community. 

By Caroline Lackey