Mrs. Calder is a history teacher at OPHS. She teaches AP World History, Global 10, Government, and an art history course in room 255. Mrs. Calder is a huge fan of the motion picture movie “The Croods”, as well as its sequel “The Croods 2”. There is never a dull moment in any of her classes, nor a consistent desk arrangement.
Q: How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
A: I try not to take myself too seriously and use humor to get through anything. Which is probably a coping mechanism.
Q: What did you eat for lunch today!
A: Oh! Good. I had leftovers from Mrs Giallella’s family dinner last night. It was chicken and vegetable stir fry with lo mein noodles.
Q: What does being a teacher mean to you?
A: It means the responsibility of shaping people to be able to think for themselves.
Q: Who was your favorite teacher in high school?
A: My favorite teacher was Mrs. Howard and she taught social studies! And I went to a very small school and she taught all my electives. And she kicked me out of class once because I laughed. But I wasn’t laughing at her.
Q: What’s your motto?
A: Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.
Q: What are you most afraid of?
A: Oh jeez. I am afraid of, I guess, just like things that I can’t control. Things that I don’t have control over.
Q: What’s the worst crime you’ve committed (That you can admit to here)?
A: Oh, this is a good one. I went to see Shakespeare in the park in central park when I lived in NYC and they said no cameras, but I took a picture of the stage. I did get in trouble and they made me delete it.
Q:What’s your favorite nickname students have given you?
A: I don’t know if I’ve ever had one. Maybe Calder on the Walder.
Q: How do you want to die and what age?
A: I just had this conversation this morning with my chiropractor. I want to be 100…I want to die unaware.
Q: If you had the option to be encased in ice and brought to the future, would you do it?
A: No, because I don’t like to be cold.
Q: What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten?
A: My kids.
Q: What’s your favorite year you’ve ever taught?
A: Sophomores. Especially when I had them as freshman cause I get to see how they’ve grown and it’s called the magic year, from Freshman to sophomore year.
Q: What’s your favorite color?
A: Purple.
Q: Summer or winter?
A: Summer.
Q: What’s your favorite holiday?
A: This is gonna sound strange, but Easter is my favorite holiday because it means that spring is here.
Q: Do you believe in global warming?
A: Yes.
Q: Was Helen Keller real?
A: Yes.
Q: What’s your SubWay order?
A: That’s a great one. I used to get italian urban cheese but it started to rip my mouth so I got Italian, Italian bread, I usually get the turkey spinach tomato onion parmesan cheese, and light mayo. And pickles.
Q: What’s your favorite fast food chain?
A: I would say Mighty Taco or Taco bell.
Q: If you could live in any time period, what would it be?
A: I would wanna live in the revolutionary era, like American Revolution. I’ve just always loved it.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?: I would say like working out, and feeling that feeling where like your chest, you can’t get enough air in, i hate that. And also being outside when it’s cold and rainy and wet and not having the ability to go back inside and get dry. That is misery to me.
Q: If you were to die, what would you want to reincarnate as?
A: A chipmunk.
Q: What person do you admire most?
A: My mom.
Q: What’s your most important item/thing?
A: I would say these earrings, my grandma’s earrings. They have no value, just sentimental value. And a teddy bear my uncle got me when I was like four years old.
Any wisdom to share with the world?: It’s really really okay to be as weird as you wanna be and you’ll be happier for it.
Q: What are you still hoping to accomplish in life?
A: I really really really want to get my law degree, I’ve always wanted it. I would still teach, but I would get it and maybe practice law after I retired.
Q: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
A: My son said, “You know what mom, you’re kinda like the grandma from Moana.” And I said “she’s the village crazy lady!” And he said “Yeah, you’re crazy but you’re fun!”
Q: How often do you think about the Roman Empire?
A: On average, twice a day. Because I talk about it all the time. Not on the weekends, I’d say.
Q: What’s your favorite AP World Unit?
A: My favorite is consequences of industrialization because that’s when we start to talk about why imperialism happened so unit 6 is my absolute favorite one to teach.
