According to Superman, there’s a superhero in all of us, we just need the courage to put on the cape. Local Hamilton High teacher Elizabeth Carlson takes that to heart figuratively as an educator, and literally if it’s a Thursday. In Carlsonland, every Thursday is Superman Thursday, and you can often find her sporting something Superman-themed to remind her students that they are all Superman in their own ways.
Ms. Carlson started teaching in Hamilton in 2001 when she finished grad school at Miami University. After spending 3 years at Wilson Middle School and 4 years at the Hamilton Freshman Building, she settled in at Hamilton High School, where she’s been teaching honors sciences ever since.
For Elizabeth, her passion for teaching was something she discovered by accident, rather than set out to achieve. “I was going to be a doctor, so I went to Texas Christian University as pre-med, and half-way through my junior year, I realized that wasn’t really what I wanted to do.”
Carlson had previously worked as a camp counselor and after school elementary school programs. Through this, she discovered her passion for teaching science and decided to go into education.
“I love teaching science, so it’s kind of a passion for the content and a passion for teaching, as well as building these relationships with the kids and watching them grow,” said Elizabeth.
Although she has previously taught the younger ages, Carlson says she enjoys teaching high school the most. “They are becoming young adults and they are able to think more critically for themselves,” she explained.
Teaching high school helps Carlson keep in touch with who she was at that age. Through this connection, she finds it easier to reach out to the quieter students. “I was sort of disengaged in high school,” said Carlson. “If I see students who remind me of me, I try to draw them in.”
Elizabeth finds it easy to stay connected to her students by using her twitter (@super_carlson). “I’m on twitter with my students because through that I know I am accessible to them if they ever have random science questions, or need help with their homework,” she said.
Although she is originally from Texas, Carlson has found a soft spot in her heart for Hamilton, thanks to the students she has met at Hamilton High. Carlson believes that she has seen a surge in pride in the school community since Hamilton started growing. “It’s not like anywhere I’ve ever been,” she said. “We definitely have our own culture.”
Elizabeth runs her class a little differently than most, but she finds that her teaching style has worked for students over the years. Carlson tends to teach her students skills that they will need to be successful in college. “I had a student who was very smart, but had severe test anxiety,” shared Carlson. “I worked with her and by the end of the year she was finishing tests. I recently got a call from her father because she graduated from Miami magna cum laude with a biology degree and is going into genetic counseling.” Successes like that let Carlson know that her teaching methods are on the right track, no matter how different.
Teaching high school aged students does come with its own set of challenges. Carlson regularly sees students who struggle with stress, anxiety and depression. “I think it’s a very overwhelming age because they’re not kids anymore, but they’re not adults yet, and we expect more out of them academically,” she said.
To her incoming students, Ms. Carlson has a warning: “Be ready to learn, be ready to have fun, and laugh at my jokes because I’m really funny.”
To their parents, Ms. Carlson asks: “Trust me. Your kids are going to struggle because usually honors kids haven’t had to study and now they will, so please, just trust me.”
This year, Ms. Carlson will be teaching at both the freshman building and the high school. It will be a challenge, but it’s a challenge Carlson is ready and willing to take on.