Though this is her first year teaching at Dallastown Area High School, math teacher Sara Sweitzer is no stranger to these halls or to the joy of teaching.
“I always knew since 3rd grade that I wanted to be a teacher,” Sweitzer said.
Sweitzer enjoyed that grade so much that she even considered returning as an elementary teacher. That changed when she realized what the job would entail.
“I realized that I’d have to teach all subjects,” Sweitzer said. “I don’t like reading.”
A graduate of West York Area High School, Sweitzer was a very involved student, participating in Mini-THON, student council, soccer, lacrosse, and cheerleading. She went on to study at Millersville University, where she later student-taught at DHS with math teacher Randy Chilcoat serving as her cooperating teacher.
“I liked the people I taught around,” Sweitzer said of her student-teaching experience.
After graduating, Sweitzer taught briefly at Central York before spending 4 and a half years at Hempfield High School. When she heard of a potential opening at Dallastown, she jumped at the chance to return to York County
“I wasn’t going anywhere else in York,” Sweitzer said. “If I didn’t get it, I’d have stayed at Hempfield.”
Now teaching Academic Algebra I, Sweitzer says her favorite part of Dallastown is the tight-knit atmosphere.
“It feels like a small school vibe while still being a large school,” she said.
Sweitzer also enjoys building relationships with students, especially early in the school year.
“For the first two days of teaching, all we do is play ‘Family Feud’,” she said. “We don’t learn anything, but we get to know each other.”
As the school year comes to a close, Sweitzer looks back at a year full of growth, involvement, and meaningful connections.
“Two moments that really stood out to me were being a part of Mini-THON this year and being a volunteer coach for the girls lacrosse team who just won the League Championships!” she said.
True to her word, Sweitzer made it a priority to jump into school life beyond the classroom.
“One thing I wanted to do differently coming to a new school was not hesitate or wait to get involved,” she said. “Right away I expressed interest in helping with Mini-THON and to also get involved with the girls lacrosse program.”
Though she came in with experience teaching Algebra I, Sweitzer said the most challenging part wasn’t the math, it was adjusting to the day to day routines and expectations at a new school.
“With a new set of school policies, and curriculum, I’d like to tell myself to take it one day at a time. The content was not new to teach, but routine things were new to me,” Sweitzer said.
Next year, Sweitzer hopes to expand her teaching toolkit by incorporating more technology into her lessons and continuing to grow her presence outside the classroom.
“I would like to take on a larger role with Mini-THON and continue to help coach the girls lacrosse team,” she said.
But for Sweitzer, teaching goes beyond just equations and grades.
“My goal for students is to develop confidence in math, knowing that mistakes are part of the learning process, but effort and persistence pays off,” she said.
“At the end of the trimester or school year, my hope is that they remember they had a teacher who cared about them as people, saw their potential, and always challenged them to do their best,” Sweitzer said.
