English teacher Terri Theilen works on her computer during her prep period. Theilen taught a variety of students. After first semester, Theilen went to teach fifth grade, to cover a teacher who had a baby.
Terri Theilen
Terri Theilen is the new English and Creative Writing teacher at Atlantic High School. The substitute teacher is here temporarily because she was needed due to the teacher shortage. “I am here for the year, but I have to take December, January, and February off because I’ve already committed to teaching for Mrs. Christianson in fifth grade while she has her baby,” she said. Former AHS teacher Denise Sharp is set to substitute for Theilen during those months.
Her favorite part of teaching is “getting to know the kids,” especially at the high school age level as she usually teaches elementary students. “I’ve had lots of experience in second, third, fourth, and fifth grade, but not so much at the older level, so getting to know high school kids has been fun,” she said. So far, Theilen’s favorite part about teaching at the high school is finally having her own classroom and doing “all that fun stuff I haven’t had a chance to do as a sub,” she said. Theilen said choosing her own quote to put outside of the classroom was fun. “It’s more my own,” she said.
She went to the University of Iowa for English and Reading for grades 7-12, but moving to Washington D.C. changed everything. “My Iowa teaching certificate was not good there, I would have had to take another 12 hours of classes and I just wasn’t into it at the time,” Theilen said. After moving back to Iowa, she coordinated Continuing Education classes at the hospital for 18 years. She also worked in corporate training for Blue Cross Blue Shield in Nebraska before deciding to substitute about 10 years ago.
For fun, Theilen likes to boat, swim, lay in the sun, go to Hawkeye football games, and read. She lives with her husband Scott, with whom she has two sons, Matthew and Andrew, as well as a dog, Annie.