At the very end of the hall in the upper D-Wing lies room D234, Christine Engelen’s room.
The space is lined with paintings and trinkets that were created and gathered throughout her life, offering a sense of welcome to a generic and flat classroom. This welcoming is solidified by Engelen’s personality—commanding and strong, while simultaneously warm and soft.
Being a teacher was never a path she foresaw. When it came time to pick a college major, English was a “no-brainer” for her, as she had great writing skills and a love for reading. She explained that, “as an English major, probably the handiest job you can come up with is being an English teacher,” and so her teaching path began.
In her early career, Ms. Engelen grew her experience through long-term subbing, summer school, after-school SAT prep, and a variety of other roles. Out of her 25 years of teaching, 11 of them have been spent here at Mead.
While important, teaching means more to Engelen than just correcting grammar and assigning essays; it’s also about connecting to your students. As a student who has had her before, I can feel the care she holds for her pupils. The presentations you give and essays you write are always there to teach you, and they also build you up as an individual: teaching you how to take criticism, apply new ideas, and discuss themes and concepts on deeper levels.
Particularly for high schoolers, Engelen finds that providing literature and conversation can help them through a very tumultuous time of life. She also has some hearty advice for those at this age.
“It’s a matter of confidence, and I believe in faking it till you make it.”
It can be extremely difficult to find your place, and even yourself, especially as a high school student. It can be easy to try and change yourself to fit in with others, but Engelen urges you to be who you are. “It’s so scary at first, but then it becomes second nature,” she adds.
Teens have a lot going on: finding a job, passing classes, volunteering, determining what to do as a career, and more. The last thing you need to worry about is changing who you are to fit in with a certain crowd. Engelen stresses the liberty that comes with being yourself and that, “if you are who you are and you just sort of refuse to apologize for it, there’s power in that.”
Another key thing in life that Engelen recommends doing is leaving your hometown. Even if you end up coming back, she suggests that you “go somewhere else, find another way of life to experience, to sample.” This mindset is what makes her teaching so impactful. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone, and using what others can teach you to teach yourself. Teach yourself to learn, to grow, to try.
Life is hard, and yes those essays can be hard too, but with an uplifting final comment, Ms. Engelen says, “It doesn’t get easier, but you keep getting better.”
