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by Jessica Blackham
Social Media Editor
After teaching full-time for 14 years, FACS teacher Auralee Brooks will go from teaching six classes a day to only teaching one.
Brooks decided that taking a step back from teaching was the best way to put her family first.
“There’s several reasons why I’ve chosen not to teach as much,” Brooks said. “One is, I just want to be a grandma. I have six grandkids, and four of them live out of state. In order for me to go visit them and really be their grandma, I need to not work as much.”
Stepping back from teaching will give Brooks the opportunity to help her family. Since her dad has dementia, Brooks wants to devote more time to helping her mom take care of her dad.
“Right now, I am what’s called the sandwich generation where you’re taking care of kids but also taking care of your own parents,” Brooks said. “I love teaching, but I feel like this is what I need to do.”
Although Brooks will no longer be teaching her foods and interior design classes, she will continue to teach one sewing class. NSSD has yet to hire someone to fill her position as the main FACS teacher.
“I’m so glad that Mrs. Brooks is at least teaching one class,” said junior Hope Shelley. “She’s just such an amazing person and a fantastic teacher! Her classroom has just always been a safe place for me; it’s somewhere I know I can go if I need help with school, FCCLA, or even with my personal life.”
Brooks is universally loved by both students and teachers. They recognize her ability to make her classes entertaining and informative.
“I would say that she is extremely organized and knowledgeable, and fun,” said fellow teacher Jori Turpin. “I’ve never heard students say anything bad about her like kids talk, and they like her and enjoy her as a person. She is really knowledgeable about the content she teaches. I think she is really organized and the kids know exactly what is expected of them, and the objectives are always on the board. You know exactly what’s coming.”
Developing a personal connection with students has always been a top priority for Brooks.
“I think one of the things I’ll miss the most is the kids,” Brooks said. “That’s going to be the hardest part. I’ve always tried to try and develop a relationship with my students. Some of them are not always receptive to it, and sometimes it depends on how close they sit near my desk, but I love to try and get to know my students.”
Brooks strives to connect with each of her students. Due to Brooks’s influence, senior Alexis Hansen has even considered a future in interior design.
“I took both of her interior design classes and loved them,” Hansen said. “I really enjoyed both of them and Mrs. Brooks helped me to learn something new each time I went. The classes were just so interesting to me and now I’m taking a college interior design class.”
For the past 14 years, Brooks has had a profound impact on NS. Her enthusiasm for teaching has enriched the lives of many.
“Mrs. Brooks has inspired me to just be a better person,” Shelley said. “She really has been such a good example to me for all the years I’ve known her. She’s funny, kind, and just amazing in all aspects of her life. You just know you’re loved whenever you’re around her. I’ve always wanted to develop that attribute and to make people feel loved and cared for.”
