Many children say they want to become teachers, but few follow through on it. Mrs. Amy Anderson, DHS English teacher, is one of those few. She is currently in her 38th, and final, year of teaching.

Anderson has always wanted to be a teacher.

“If I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. If I was in first grade, I wanted to be a first-grade teacher,” she said.

She decided on high school but then had to choose which subject to teach.

“I always loved a good story. I always loved to read. I started as a French major but realized I wasn’t grasping the language, so I switched to English,” Anderson said.

She went on to get a Bachelor’s degree in English education, and a Master’s degree in Reading, both from Shippensburg University.

After college, Anderson secured a job at Red Lion High School, where she taught English for 18 years, but she also coached JV Field Hockey, oversaw the school newspaper, and directed their musicals.

In 2002, Anderson applied for a similar position, but at Dallastown. She received the job and has been here since. This is her 20th year teaching at Dallastown, and she has made a huge impact on life here.

Senior Caroline Loughlin is currently taking AP Lit and Honors Plays and Playwrights with Anderson and speaks highly of her.

“My favorite part about Mrs. Anderson is the way she teaches content. [She teaches] in a fun way where learning the content isn’t boring but fun and entertaining,” Loughlin says. 

But, as at Red Lion, teaching English isn’t the only thing Anderson does here. She was Dallastown’s Senior Class Advisor for ten years and is currently a musical director.

Outside of her duties at school, Anderson also enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, going to local theater productions, and reading.

So what is Anderson’s favorite part of her job? 

“The kids. 100%,” she said. Many of her students could say the same about her. Laughlin appreciates Anderson for her dedication to helping her students become better versions of themselves saying, 

“Mrs. Anderson has helped me become a better person by pushing me to always do my best work. Whenever we turn in assignments she always comments on them to help [us] improve. She knows when we can put more effort into something than we did.”

So what is Anderson’s least favorite part of her job? 

“The jobs we have to do that are not related to teaching. So, the paperwork…the administrative tasks that aren’t directly related to the classroom,” she says. She doesn’t, however, let the worst parts of her job stop her from making class enjoyable for her students.

Siya Patel, junior, had Anderson for Honors English ll during her sophomore year.

“I enjoyed the class because Mrs. Anderson made literature a fun subject. I enjoyed reading short stories and the poetry she chose for each person…Mrs. Anderson is more creative and fun. She had the skill to make boring assignments more creative. She has been an inspiration, her skills have been exemplary. We will all miss her next year,” Patel says. 

Patel’s final comment leads to the main point of this article. Anderson plans to retire at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, but she is not completely done with Dallastown. She plans to continue directing the DHS musicals, but she also is looking forward to having more time to travel, and she also hopes to write the great American novel. 

In conclusion, Dallastown High School is grateful for the services that Mrs. Anderson has provided in her years here and very thankful that she decided to become a teacher.