A lot of teachers at Shadow Ridge were not always interested in teaching. Health teacher, Mrs. Alia has been a teacher for over a decade now and has taught many different subjects, although teaching was not her first choice.
“The only thing I truly wanted to do was coach volleyball and you can’t make a living off of just that. My dad was a PE teacher so I chose to follow in his footsteps. Shadow Ridge had an opening in Health so I transferred schools in the Fall of 2017, and I think Health is where I make the most connections and difference in my students’ lives.”
During Alia’s Health course, freshmen participate in many group activities and learn about the body. Mrs. Alia has been through her fair share of classes and has truly opened up to teaching Health. She works to make sure her students feel accepted and welcome in the classroom.
Alia explains, “I believe I have improved as a teacher over the years. I taught mostly PE and weight training for 11 years at Centennial. I have also taught Freshman Studies and Drivers Ed. I sold my prep in 2016/17 to teach Health and I truly enjoyed teaching it.”
Since teaching Health, Alia has also become an advisor to the school’s Polynesian Club, which started in 2017. The Polynesian Club connects students who have a similar background as them, though it is meant for all students to enjoy.
Alia explains, “I love teaching high school and being an advisor to the Polynesian Club. I am so proud of them and how they share their cultures with our school community. Educating and spreading Aloha (love) throughout our school community.”
The club learns about many different cultures. More information can be found on the school website or on their Instagram @srhspolyclub_.
Being a coach for so long deeply impacted Coach Alia’s life, and she loves to share her background with her students. Outside of the workplace, Mrs. Alia is a mom and a wife. She works with her students at a personal level to help them understand the material more. Whether it be giving advice or sharing her stories, building strong relationships with her students is very important to her.
Alia continues, “It’s been so long I can’t really remember the process of becoming a teacher! I do remember getting fingerprinted 4 times in 1 year though and that was very frustrating.”
From being an advisor for the Poly Club, to teaching her students valuable lessons about health, Mrs. Alia is proud to be teaching at Shadow Ridge.
Missy Shipp • Nov 23, 2023 at 8:02 am
Thanks for all that you do Alia! Great article Lena.