Teacher Interview: Mrs. Redd

Teacher Interview: Mrs. Redd

This year, we welcomed Señora Redd to the NDA community. Often seen with a bright smile in the halls and classroom, Mrs. Redd is a cuvilly Spanish and homeroom teacher. Although she hasn’t been at NDA for too long, she has already made many great memories and a significant impact on her students. One of her cuvilly students sums her up in this simple sentence: “Señora Redd is everything that you would want in a teacher; she is smart, kind, energetic, always willing to help, and creative!” Let’s get to know her!

Mrs. Redd was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended a private high school where she was involved in almost every activity. She dove, played softball, played golf, was a part of student council and sang a cappella. Mrs. Redd really enjoyed the close relationships she had with her teachers in high school, and she rekindled that joy when she came to NDA. One year, she hosted an exchange student from Argentina, and this sparked an interest in languages, particularly Spanish. Mrs. Redd said, “I wanted to be good friends with [the exchange students], so I wanted to improve my Spanish in order to communicate better.” Throughout her earlier years, Mrs. Redd looked up to her teachers, especially her female ones, and from them, she knew she wanted to be a teacher.

At Williams College in Massachusetts, Mrs. Redd double majored in Psychology and Spanish. She said she simply couldn’t decide between the two subjects because she loved them both. We conversed about how there is a strong connection between the topics since languages use a specific part of your brain. She continued to dive and sing in an all-female a cappella group. In her junior year, she spent time abroad in Buenos Aires and reconnected with the student she hosted in high school. Mrs. Redd later attended Smith College where she earned her Master of Arts in Teaching for Secondary Spanish. Part of her curriculum was to student teach which she did in Amherst. She also worked in an underserved population in Springfield; Mrs. Redd commented on how much she enjoyed teaching them how to be leaders in their community.

From Massachusetts, Mrs. Redd relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia where she taught at an independent K-12 school. There, she taught Spanish to the middle schoolers, coached sports, and was Director of Admissions for two years. Similar to her time in high school, she had a strong bond with her students as she got to know them inside and outside of the classroom. Not too long ago, she moved back to Boston when her husband became a medical resident. She started to work at an international education company that works with coordinating programs surrounding languages. Mrs. Redd once again ventured into the exchange program, this time as a counselor. She guided exchange students through their adventures in a new place. However, most of this was digital communication, and she missed being in a classroom interacting with students.

At NDA, Mrs. Redd found her love for teaching at an all-girls school. She enjoys seeing the girls build confidence and establish a strong sisterhood; she noted how this is important especially from a young age. Señora Redd’s favorite part of NDA is the students, particularly the cuvs. She loves to watch them grow during their time of great change. Finding it hard to put into words, this is how Mrs. Redd describes teaching at a school like ours: “You don’t really know about it until you experience it”. Like many other teachers, Mrs. Redd’s favorite memory at NDA so far is Heritage Day but particularly the talent show. She emphasized how proud she felt both seeing the students share their talents with the community and seeing everyone genuinely support one another. Her recent trip to Italy is also very memorable to her. She spoke about how the group met a girl scout troop and they instantly bonded despite the language barrier. We certainly hope Mrs. Redd is going to make many more memories here.

From what I can see, Mrs. Redd has made such a positive impact on our school. However, that relationship is mutual. Since coming to NDA, Señora has seen the value in faith-based, single-sex education. She noted that it provides a solid foundation so that teachers can educate and inspire us. Mrs. Redd commented that if she ever left NDA, she would love to be in an all-girls environment moving forward. She finds our school inspirational as we strive to build confidence in all fields, especially STEM.

Outside of teaching, Mrs. Redd’s favorite hobbies include wandering the city of Boston, going to Red Sox games, baking (especially new recipes), and exercising. She continues to remain a supporter of the arts and will often come to support her students in their other activities. She likes to get to know her students outside of how well they know Spanish.

Señora Redd’s final piece of advice to everyone is “surround yourself with people who make you happy and make you feel good about yourself”. She admitted that this can be difficult to do, but it is also very important.

Mrs. Redd, you’ve been such a great addition to our school community. You brighten everyone’s day, and we look forward to learning more from you.

I can think back to the first day I met Señora Redd. I saw her setting up her classroom for the school year, and I offered her some cotton candy. That’s a story for another time. Instantly, I knew she would be a teacher all students love. Our encounter was brief, and I thought that’s as much communication as I would have. I knew I wouldn’t have her as a teacher, and I wasn’t sure how frequently I would pass her in the hall. When the school year started, Mrs. Redd somehow remembered who I was. To me, that showed how much care she would have for her students. She has a lot of it for those who don’t take her class. I was very excited for this interview, and I wanted to make sure my over-excited offering of cotton candy wasn’t as weird as I thought. Mrs. Redd’s positivity is radiant, and it is something that always brightens the halls of NDA (now the Zoom sessions). I don’t need to have her as a teacher to know how impactful she has been this year; I know it when I see the students (whether hers or not) always happy to talk to her.