Humans of Basis: From Stage to Classroom

At the beginning of office hours and formerly high school lunches, Ms. O’Connor can be found setting up her classroom: ready to give feedback on essays, let students rewrite their essays, or even just provide a quiet space for them to work. Whether through her creative renditions of literary scenes and devices or her deep understanding of her selected novels, Ms. O’Connor’s passion for both the written and performing arts shines in her daily lessons.

Before joining BIFU, Ms. O’Connor worked as an English teacher at Irvington High School in Fremont and even earlier at Newark Memorial High School, sharing that she has been a teacher for over 25 years now. She was partially inspired to become a teacher because of her siblings’ educational roles at local junior writing centers and her strong appreciation for literature from a young age.

“When I was young, there were these Scholastic book catalogs that came out,” said Ms. O’Connor. “…My family really didn’t have very much money… but [my parents] always let me buy books.”

Now, Ms. O’Connor teaches two A.P. English Language and Composition classes and A.P. Seminar along with temporarily subbing for 8th grade English. Her love for literature persists within the classroom through her carefully selected collection of books for course reading and a bookshelf in the back of C22, where students can check out books for personal reading. She shares that she would help students select books of their preferred genres or recommend novels for students based on their interests.

Notably, Ms. O’Connor chooses to use fiction novels for her A.P. English Language classes instead of the traditional nonfiction works. She states that, in addition to issues in previous schools about keeping the books accessible and affordable for all students, fiction often keeps students more engaged in the classroom discussions.

“I like learning from my students,” said Ms. O’Connor. “They’ll come up with things I never thought of.”

Becoming an English teacher, however, wasn’t always Ms. O’Connor’s career plan. Initially, she aimed to be an actress, moving to Los Angeles at the age of 18 and staying there for five years. Though she played a few parts and was called to act in some roles towards the end of her acting career, she ultimately cites the intense competition as one of the most difficult aspects of her acting career, coupled with the major luck needed to score big roles.

“A lot of [acting] is about luck…being in the right place at the right time sometimes,” said Ms. O’Connor.

Regardless, she still gained a skill increasingly applicable to her current job as a teacher — improvisation. Once a week, Ms. O’Connor performed in an improvisational theater group, where the performers would take suggestions from the audience and create scenes extemporaneously. Adaptability remained an important skill for Ms. O’Connor, who shared that things don’t always go as planned in the classroom but emphasized the necessity of adjusting to students’ situations.

In her free time, Ms. O’Connor participates in Vinyasa yoga lessons through Zoom. She shares that yoga helps her maintain a preferred work-life balance, helping her find a midpoint between wanting to be available with feedback for students and turning teaching into a 7-day job. She encourages her students to do the same rather than overloading on activities and overwhelming themselves, reminding them to take care of themselves and prioritize their health.

“Nobody’s perfect,” said Ms. O’Connor. “We’re all still learning and growing.”