On the dark, dreary night of December 25, 1776, George Washington and his men heroically crossed the icy Delaware River in order to launch a pivotal sneak attack on the British-employed Hessian forces- a move that would usher great momentum for Washington’s Continental Army who fought valiantly to win American independence. Coach and United States History teacher Mrs. Hill has often retold this inspirational tale as a motivational pep talk to the Lambert girls’ varsity basketball team.
It can be said that no other teacher at Lambert adores U.S. History as much as Mrs. Hill. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in History Education from Kennesaw State University, Mrs. Hill’s resume was picked out (through an educational job fair) to be a girls’ basketball coach at Lambert, for she was mistaken to be a different Jordan Hill supposedly known in the sports field. Despite this misunderstanding, Mrs. Hill passed her interview and became a dedicated girls’ basketball coach and U.S. History teacher at Lambert High School.
“Somebody saw my name and was like ‘Oh, we should call him’,” Mrs. Hill said. “I really think that if my name wasn’t a unisex name, I would not be here where I am today.”
Throughout her six years of experience, Mrs. Hill can attest that both practices of coaching and teaching require similar strategies that she uses to engage and invest students to make a committed effort. Mrs. Hill gets her students to “buy in” (become engaged and interested) to what they are doing by letting them know that they are cared for, supported and loved and emphasizing that they are capable of completing the task ahead.
”I think the way that you teach a classroom is very similar to the way that you coach a sport,” Mrs. Hill said. “If you have someone that’s extremely talented but disinterested, that can be really frustrating, but again really rewarding when you get them to buy in.”
Mrs. Hill enjoys teaching U.S. History because of how important it is to understand where one’s modern nation originates from and how its values were founded. Unlike European History or World History, U.S. History is closest to students at Lambert (geographically for all and culturally for many). Knowledge about the past can aid students in holding nuanced perspectives in order to make informed decisions.
“I love teaching about the nation that we live in and just get students to understand the roots in which our nation was founded upon and why we are where we are today,” Mrs. Hill said. “Sometimes, we may think of the United States as extremely polarizing politically or economically; Maybe I can give an insight to students to show them how we got here.”
Another, perhaps primary, goal of Mrs. Hill is to inspire her students to leave her class a better person by way of creating genuine, caring relationships. Being a great teacher and getting students engaged with the learning process is fundamental to strengthening their character and instilling a positive outlook.
“‘Did that person leave a better person? Did that person have a good experience? Did they have a positive attitude? Did I make them smile?’ That’s the stuff that really drives me,” Mrs. Hill said. “If you leave my class as a better person, you’re impacting society in a positive way, I feel like I’ve done my job.”
The students of Lambert are a part of the next generation of leaders, geniuses and teachers of the world. The many passionate, determined and resilient Lambert students who aspire to achieve their goals are an integral reason why Mrs. Hill stays as a teacher at Lambert.
“I know I can honestly look forward to each day because the kids here are genuinely extremely nice and great to be around,” Mrs. Hill said. “When you get into your first couple of years as a teacher, you really do see the impact you have on students. You feel like this is what you were made to do.”
As Mrs. Hill journeys through her educational career, it is unlikely that she will ever recline into an administrative position or anything similar; she wants to teach students for years to come. To educate future generations in national history and encourage them to become their best selves is a gift she will never give up.
