Mrs. Moranda Terwilliger, hired in late July, embraced the role as Bloomington High School North’s new Spanish teacher, only about two weeks before the 25-26 school year began. Terwilliger taught at Monroe Community School Corporation (MCCSC) schools for a decade before taking the position in the Bloomington North language department earlier this summer.
“I’ve always liked teaching Spanish and teaching high school, something that I started my career with.” Terwilliger said.
Terwilliger shared that her Spanish classroom at University Elementary was ‘ready for students’ before she ultimately took the decision to apply for the job. She had taught in that classroom for 9 years prior to her new position.
Despite her years of experience teaching at the elementary level, Terwilliger shared that high school Spanish isn’t so different from her style at University Elementary. While the age groups differ, she says that the learning process remains the same: starting with basics such as the alphabet, numbers, and colors.
“I was a little nervous about going from the little kids back to the big kids, so I was nervous, but it turned out fine,” expressed Terwilliger while glancing at her poster-filled walls.
Despite the short notice, Terwilliger shared that her biggest support system for her new adjustment has been neighboring teachers and colleagues. Especially from the Foreign Language department chair, Ms .Olivia Paul. Mrs. Terwilliger expressed her gratitude for the many resources given to her by fellow educators in the building.
“Yes, it was stressful, but everyone’s been super helpful and supportive,” she said.
Terwilliger said that her favorite part of her new position is being able to help students explore and discover diverse cultures, and even helping them expand on their own. Terwilliger particularly enjoys the diverse student body she noted at North.
Terwilliger was already familiar with the Bloomington North community—her spouse is a former educator there, her son graduated from the school, and she had worked with Mr. Stark in the past.
“I felt like I was kind of back in my element, being back at high school,” she said. Terwilliger is particularly excited to see the trajectory of this school year with her daughter attending Bloomington North.
