Staff Spotlight: Ms. Kaufman

By Abigail Sullivan

I was able to catch up with Mystic Valley's newest Economics teacher, Ms. Kaufman. We discussed everything from high school to flying airplanes. Here is what she had to say:

What year did you graduate?

"I graduated from Bentley University in May, 2006."

What made you want to become a teacher/ teach econ(and math)?

"Initially, I really wanted to be in the business world. I felt like that was where important things happened! After I worked in the private sector though, I realized that I really missed the challenges and learning experiences that happened at school. I also really wanted to help build and encourage the next generation of young adults, because I had experienced a really great and formative secondary and tertiary education and I wanted to help provide that experience to others. Being a teacher is challenging work, but I enjoy doing it every day. When I got into teaching, I knew that there was a shortage of math teachers, and even though I wasn't amazing at math, I knew it pretty well, and since I had worked hard at it, I figured I could see where confusions might occur. So I looked into becoming a math teacher. I knew that there were very few Economics positions out there, so I did not initially think I would ever get to teach Economics."

What is our school like vs your previous school?

"Well, I think the biggest difference between this school and the school I used to work at is that most students at Mystic Valley really understand the value of a good education and how they can use it to be anything they want to be. I think unfortunately, at my old school, a lot of students didn't see the long term benefits of a high school education and would focus more on short term goals."

What do you like to do when you're not teaching?

"I like to do a lot of things! I have a pilot license so I try to go fly about two or three times a month. I also take ballroom dancing lessons with my boyfriend Ari; we have a lot of fun! I like walking and biking for exercise while listening to podcasts. I enjoy cooking: I used to make my own cheese, but haven't done that in a while. Going ice skating, skiing and to the theatre are my favorite winter activities. I just started playing the ukulele, so I pick that up every now and then. I like planning trips and traveling during school vacations, and finally, I love reading and just spending time with Ari and my fluffy orange cat."

What is your favorite thing to teach?

"Without a doubt my favorite thing to teach is Economics. I was never amazing at math in high school or college, but Economics taught me how you can use math in really cool ways, especially with algebra and statistics! Economics is a social science with math, english, political science, and a little bit of history, which is great for someone like me who likes learning about EVERYTHING!"

Where are you from/did you grow up?

"I grew up in Belmont, MA, which is 25 minutes southwest of Malden. My mom is from Prague, Czech Republic, so we went there a lot during the summer when I was younger. Both my parents were really good about exposing my sister and I to other countries and cultures, so that's probably where I got my love of traveling!"

What is your favorite funny story about yourself?

"One time my sister and I went on a ski trip, and we were riding up the chairlift together. We sat down when the chairlift came, and I pulled down the restraint bar. My sister hadn't arranged herself yet, so when I brought the bar down, I kind of caught her pole in it. She was caught off guard, so she tried to pull her pole free with force. She jerked up her pole (in her hand) and it flew free, and punched me in the lip. It was so hard that my teeth hit my lip and I started bleeding! When we got down to the lodge, I looked in a mirror and had a massive, bruised, swollen lip! It looked like I had gotten into a fight."

Besides being a teacher, what other jobs have you had?

"Yikes, what jobs haven't I had! I have worked as a: lifeguard, babysitter, waitress, bartender, private equity analyst, tour guide, translator, tutor, tax accountant, forensic accountant, flight dispatcher, mystery shopper, party motivator...and I think that's it."