What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Sitting in a really comfortable chair with a fire during the winter [while] reading a really good book.

What is your greatest fear?

I have a deep answer, both that pertain to my children—dying and leaving children at a young age, and also something bad happening to children. My small ordinary fears would be falling and rats.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

The word I overuse would be “actually.”  I have a board of tombstones in my classroom with words that are overused by students who say them all the time!

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My greatest love is learning and I am always wanting to learn because there is more to learn.

When and where were you happiest?

I define happiness with two main feelings: pride and peace. Pride, when I see students or people I love succeed, like at graduations. Peace, like on my wedding day because you always want your wedding day to be peaceful.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I would want to be more coordinated and would love to be able to pick up a tennis racket and be able to play, which I can’t. Or, [to be] able to just hear a song and dance, which I also cannot do.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I was able to find a career path that felt like the right fit. I figured out what I wanted to do—so many people live life not loving what they do—I am proud today that I did. I also think my best achievement is becoming a mom.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

The first thing to pop into my head was a tree because they are strong, sturdy, and dependable—and of course, assuming no one would cut me down!

Where would you most like to live?

I would love to live in London if money and government weren’t issues. I especially love [English] history!

Who are your favorite writers?

It is hard for me to choose just one writer, but two that I really enjoy are F. Scott Fitzgerald and Agatha Christie.

What is your greatest regret?

I have two regrets one that was recent and one that happened earlier in my life. The recent one would be when I went on Jeopardy and didn’t truly enjoy the experience because I let anxiety get the better of me and built it up in my head which made it become a more stressful experience. My regret from long ago would be not doing study abroad during college I have traveled since then but I wish I took that opportunity when it came up

What is your motto?

A motto I have is that “Every day, we get to make choices about how we act. How we act ultimately adds up to who we are and how others perceive us, but we can change how we act.”