Panthers of ISKL 306#: Tracy Woodward - The Kind Panther
Teaching the IB is exciting and challenging. Pushing students to achieve at such a high level of learning is rewarding. Every day, I hear insightful ideas from students that surprise me and keep things exciting. We have the best students at ISKL!
Meet HS teacher Tracy Woodward, who shares her serendipitous journey to ISKL, the rewarding challenges of teaching IB English Language and Literature, and why she believes ISKL students are truly exceptional.
She also gives us a peek into her life outside of school, which involves reading, writing novels, and chasing a good beach with a book.
Here is Tracy’s story:
Please tell us more about yourself.
I grew up in a suburb of Ohio, U.S., and attended school there. I then taught in Indiana for a few years before moving overseas. I have taught in China, Jordan, as well as Malaysia. I have been teaching high school English since I was 22 years old.
This has been my sole career. I love High School kids!
When and why did you join ISKL?
My husband and I were living in the U.S. in 2007 and had our children there, but we were looking for an adventure.
When my mother-in-law got the librarian position at ISKL, she convinced us to apply for jobs here. And we got them! It was all very serendipitous.
Can you tell us more about your HS IB English and Literature Teacher position? What are your daily activities? What is the most enjoyable and most challenging part of your job?
Teaching the IB is exciting and challenging. Pushing students to achieve at such a high level of learning is rewarding. The Language and Literature course is diverse, and there are a lot of contemporary issues we consider with literature and photography, articles, and other types of texts.
Every day, I hear insightful ideas from students that surprise me and keep things exciting. We have the best students at ISKL!
Can you tell us more about your hobbies and interests? What do you do after work?
After work, I spend time reading, writing my novels, watching TV or movies, and I Facetime with my university-aged children who live overseas. I like to hike in cooler climates when I can. I love a good beach and a good book almost as much as anything else.
Which Panther superlative best describes you?
Ha! Ask someone else! :) I guess I’m The Most Baik Panther (Baik means kindhearted)
Share why you chose this superlative and how it shows your Panther spirit!
I’m the most Baik Panther because I care about my students both personally and academically. I try to consider what they may be worried or anxious about, and when they smile and are joyous, it makes me so happy.
Tell us why ISKL is special to you:
I Suka ISKL because it’s a place like no other. It has a certain spirit about it that would be hard to replicate. It has kindness and empathy, but energy and verve too. ISKL helped raise my children (all three graduated from ISKL), and I appreciate so much all that the teachers, staff, and administrators have done to support the kids.
What does ISKL’s Vision statement, “Know yourself, care for all, and create a better world,” mean to you?
To me, it means Panthers should focus most on the subjects and activities that bring us joy and inspiration, but it’s not just about the individual; we have an obligation to consider others’ feelings and beliefs in our daily interactions around the school.
Do you know of any student, teacher, parent, or staff who always have an anecdote to tell, love to share some insights into their passions and interest, or simply is a Panther through and through? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions here.