With the online school year coming to a close, Deana Querubin—who many students know as the English teacher of MHS’s Digital Business Academy—spoke on how teaching during the pandemic and current events changed her. As well as explaining what kind of path she took to get where she is now, Querubin also spoke of her hobbies and what she does outside the classroom.
When Querubin first entered San Francisco State University, she planned on majoring in kinesiology, Querubin said in an email interview. She ended up switching majors multiple times and even thought of becoming a lawyer, Querubin said.
With the guidance and support of important people in her life, Querubin decided to become a teacher because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, Querubin said. She was debating between teaching English or history, and although she ended up teaching English, she would still love to teach a history class.
“I always wanted to do something that would allow me to interact and inspire young people,” Querubin said. “It may sound cliche, but I always had in my mind that I needed to do something that made a difference and could possibly leave a legacy… At first, I wanted to teach history, but I am really glad I went with English. I like to teach my class through a sociological lens, so for me, I get to have the best of both worlds: history and English! If I wasn’t an English teacher, I would definitely teach history, like sociology and ethnic studies. Maybe one day!”
When Querubin joined MHS as a DBA English teacher, she was glad that she had a lot of freedom on what she could teach her students, Querubin said. She was also glad to see how supportive the MHS English department was, Querubin added.
“Although we have curriculum and books to work with and choose from, each teacher in our department has agency and freedom with what we want to do,” Querubin said. “Not many teachers in the state or country have that privilege, so to be able to teach what I want in the direction that I choose makes me very lucky! … Our team is so diverse and we all get along… I would have to say that some of the people in the department are some of my closest friends on campus!”
Querubin touched upon how online learning caused her to have to adapt her teaching style. Although some positives did come from online learning, Querubin said she is still glad that MHS is transitioning back to in-person learning.
“First off, everything is digital: all the assignments, all the handouts, the text we read… literally everything,” Querubin said. “Digitizing everything was something that I always wanted to do, so I’m actually glad that the pandemic forced me to get it done! In actuality, it made my life more efficient in many ways, and it will definitely be a game changer for me in the future… Distance learning has been exhausting. I try to pour as much enthusiasm and excitement on zoom, so at the end of the day, it is draining for me. In a typical year, I use the presence and interactions with my students to give me life and energy, so with interactions being limited, this year has been so challenging to stay motivated and inspired.”
Current events have also inspired her to emphasize critical thinking more in her curriculum, Querubin said. The events that happened during the pandemic have pushed everyone to reevaluate the society they live in and the connections people have with one another, Querubin stated.
“It is no longer enough to just think for ourselves and the people we know; we have to start thinking and considering everyone in our communities, the nation, and the world,” Querubin said. “The pandemic really opened our eyes to so much; we had nowhere to go and nothing to do for so long, so we were forced to pay attention to what was happening around us. I feel that is a life lesson we should all take: we have to start paying attention and care for each other.”
Amidst teaching and COVID-19, Querubin had to balance her social life as well, Querubin stated. If Querubin is not at home resting or playing with her two dogs, Koa and Rosie, she is in the water surfing—one of her silver linings through the pandemic, Querubin said. Querubin learned surfing from her fiancé a while back, but she only got really into surfing last summer, Querubin added.
“There’s something about the grace and elegance [of surfing] that I love and adore,” Querubin said. “It may look easy, but it is actually pretty difficult to catch a wave. The art of it is to make something that is challenging look fun and easy!”
When asked about what she is most passionate about when teaching her students, Querubin responded with empathy. Quoting Neil Gaiman, she believes that empathy is a key component to understanding different opinions and conflicting world views, Querubin said.
“At the end of the day, if we have more people who are empathetic and caring, we are on our way to building a better world,” Querubin said.
