Angela Safferman
High School Science Teacher
Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science, Bowling Green State University; Master of Science, Environmental Science, University of Cincinnati; Post-Bachelor’s Teaching Certification, University of Dayton
Mrs. Safferman knows exactly what attracted her to a career as a teacher. “I love learning new things,” she says, “and wanted to share that with others.” She also knows why she chose to teach science. “Science is a diverse field that touches every part of our lives,” she explains. Because the material in her courses is so valuable for understanding the real world, Mrs. Safferman is able to make a tangible difference in the lives of her students.
A Whole New Perspective
Mrs. Safferman joined the faculty of Great Lakes Learning Academy in 2013. She is proud of the education that the school gives its students, especially the flexibility to meet the unique needs of each of them as individuals. The school has “an amazing group of teachers and support staff,” she says, “who work very hard to help every student succeed.”
What she finds most rewarding, however, is working with “students who have had negative experiences with traditional education.” In many cases, that experience has soured these students’ outlook on education generally. Mrs. Safferman loves that teaching online provides an opportunity for “a positive experience” that can give them a whole new perspective.
“The student connections I value most,” she says, “are the ones where I feel I have helped a student find success.”
From the Midwest to Morocco
Mrs. Safferman is married and has three adult children (and one adult dog). She has lived throughout the Midwest: raised in Ohio, 18 years in Michigan, currently in Naperville, Illinois. When she’s not teaching science, she’s out exploring the world. “I especially like visiting national parks,” she says. “The most exotic place I have visited so far is Morocco.”
Her experience raising children and her many adventures have enabled her “to meet a lot of diverse people” and get “a lot of different ideas about education.” Collectively, Mrs. Safferman says, all those “activities have helped me be a better teacher.”