Karen Mayer-Sebastian has been a teacher at FC for a mind ogling 30 years, currently teaching the AP Capstone diploma including AP Seminar and AP Research. However, some of Mayer’s past classes have meant more than others,
“The IB program was a wonderful part of my teaching career. The classes were small and very important.”
In high school, being a senior means being at the top of the food chain, meaning teachers expect you to know the rules and be easier to deal with. This often leads to seniors being both the most enjoyable and easiest grades to teach. Interestingly, when asked what her favorite grade was to teach, Mayer said,
“[…] Juniors are just the perfect grade. […] I feel like you can start to have a really good conversation with them, they’ve learned enough that you can really start to dig in. But, the senioritis hasn’t kicked in yet.”
Mayer has changed classes throughout the years, but she knew what she wanted to teach coming into high school teaching.
“When I was hired here, my first teaching assignment was in Junior’s American Lit. And I settled in. I knew that was what I wanted to teach. I’ve taught so many things in this school. So you know, I ended up giving up my juniors and American lit.”
Mayer truly loves teaching, so the relationships she builds with students last a lifetime.
“I love the kids, and I always have loved the kids. I still have close relationships with kids from my very first year of teaching. Every student that comes in here is important to me, and I think the kids know that. So I guess if they know they matter to me, then the relationship comes from that. I end up staying close with a lot of those students because they matter. They matter to me, and then I eventually matter to some of them.
Because of the higher level classes Mayer teaches, she often gets her students in multiple different classes throughout the years. Throughout those years, students often become so affectionate they continue to share their journey after high school with Mayer.
“A bunch of the seniors this year, I’ve had for 3 years in a row now, and my IB kids are the same way. I had them, definitely the two years, but a lot of them I also had as freshman. So I end up having them 3 years, some of them 4 years, because they also tapped in and had me sophomore year as a TA. So, over 4 years, you really get to know these kids, and some of them, especially in the IB program, I also monitored them other periods for independent studies, so they were in my room constantly. They were in here all the time, they ate lunch in here. So, when you’re with them around the clock, you really develop a relationship with them when you see them more hours a day than I see my own children.”
Mayer has been a fan favorite among students her entire career, and it doesn’t seem she’s stopping anytime soon.