Similar to a worker bee dedicating years to perfecting its honeycomb home, Mrs. Henault has been quietly leaving her mark on Orchard Park students and bettering the community around her for over 15 years. Her classroom, 122A, is on the first floor in the main hallway, and she’s taught out of this room for many years. Educating students is English 10 and English 11, she is widely loved by all her students, including her homeroom kids whom she often buys Panera bagels for on Tuesdays. Mrs. Henault is retiring this year after teaching for 18 years, and she will be dearly missed.
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to interview Mrs. Henault about her experience as an OPHS teacher, her favorite memories, and what she plans on doing after retirement.
How long have you been working as an OPHS teacher?
I was hired at the end of August in 2006. After a year, I was laid off due to budget cuts. Since teaching jobs were hard to find, I decided to move to Phoenix, AZ, where my sister lived. I found another teaching job there. However, in December of that year, I received a letter that an opening came up at the High School. My husband really disliked the desert brownness of AZ, so I decided to accept the offer and moved back to Orchard Park.
What classes have you taught, and which was your favorite?
I’ve taught 10th and 11th grade English. I liked teaching 11th grade English because we read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It kept the students’ attention, and we watched the movie, which they enjoyed.
What steps did you take to become a teacher?
Teaching is a second career for me. I was previously in banking and finance. I decided to pursue teaching, which I had originally thought of doing while in college, before I ended up moving away. I got my post-baccalaureate degree from Buffalo State College and my Master’s from D’Youville College.
What is your favorite memory of teaching?
When I was in AZ, I taught second grade. I remember a Hispanic boy who had saved cookies from a party that we had in class. When I asked why he was saving them, he said they were for his brother and sister. That example of thoughtfulness and love for his siblings touched me deeply.
What was the biggest challenge you faced as a teacher?
Trying to turn students’ negative opinions about themselves as bad students around. We all just learn differently.
In your opinion, what was your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment in regards to teaching was winning D’Youville College’s Excellence in Education Project Medal for a Master’s Project. I had taken a unit and differentiated it for all types of learners based on students’ readiness level, interest, and learning profiles: auditory, visual, tactile, and reading/writing
What book that you taught was your favorite?
I loved To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout’s innocent and naive comments when dealing with adults could be funny. Yet, the seriousness of the plot was hard for students to accept as they read it. Good discussions happened.
What is your favorite book of all time and why?
The one book that had a powerful effect on me was Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. I think it was required reading in 8th grade at Nativity of Our Lord School. Orchard Park was not really diversified in the 70s. I had no idea what black people experienced. This book was about a white author who blackened his skin with medication and then traveled to the Deep South to write about what he experienced as a black person where Jim Crow Laws were enforced. I was shocked and saddened about what I read. It opened up my eyes to racism.
What advice would you give to kids struggling in English class?
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Where do you think you need help? Is it reading comprehension? I’d give reading strategies and see if they helped. Writing? Let’s create an organizer so that you can lay out your thoughts in a logical manner. Check that all the requirements are in the piece of writing.
What advice would you give to your younger self about teaching?
You don’t have to be perfect. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself, trying to learn and implement certain teaching strategies exactly as I was taught or read about. I’d overplan, staying up too late each night, spending less time with my own family. I’d tell myself to plan, teach, and just enjoy the moments of learning and “Aha” moments.
Mrs. Henault has touched the heart of every student she has taught and shares that she will miss her “interactions with students” and the teachers she has “grown close to over the years.” A “strong bond” was created between Henault and her fellow teachers because they “would listen to and support each other” daily. Her post-retirement plans don’t explicitly include coming back to sub for classrooms, but she is always willing to help out if someone needs it.
Congratulations to Mrs. Henault on a beautiful and accomplished career! Students and teachers alike will miss her presence in room 122A.
