Sara Chattin, Mount Union’s Substitute at Large, is pictured in her classroom.
By ANIKKA BAKER | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — Sara Chattin is stepping into her first year at MUASD, where she serves as the new Substitute at Large and is currently teaching health and physical education to students in all grades.
Although her present assignment is in health and physical education, Chattin’s teaching certification is in history. As a child, her favorite subject was history; she enjoys how it helps people understand how others lived, worked, and faced challenges without the help of modern technology. She also appreciates the valuable lessons it provides about how society has changed over time.
Her interest in history led her to pursue it as a teacher. Chattin completed her student teaching at MUASD, where she taught eighth grade history under Beth Wise. Chattin explained, “I love teaching all grades, but eighth grade is my favorite because of the enjoyable experience I had with my mentor.”
Chattin has a few favorite topics when it comes to history. Being Native American, she especially enjoys Native American history and admires the creativity and resourcefulness of the culture. However, if she could give a lesson about anything she wanted, Chattin would choose the Civil War. She said, “I enjoy that Pennsylvania has such a rich connection to the Civil War and its historical sites.”
Some of Chattin’s favorite moments at Mount Union have happened outside of the classroom. Her favorite memory so far is participating in last year’s volleyball tournament. She loved that her own students cheered her on throughout the games. She said, “Though the games were a bit chaotic, I was very happy to see my students engaged.”
Chattin loves teaching at Mount Union because every day brings something new, and there is never a dull moment. More importantly, she cares about her students and wants to help them succeed. Her desire to make a difference in their lives is one of the reasons she became a teacher.
“There are many reasons I became a teacher, but above all, I wanted to be like the teachers who are remembered for changing lives. I want to inspire, support, and encourage my students while helping them succeed in their education and in their daily lives,” Chattin said.
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
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