Colorful posters with political terms cover the walls, engulfing students in the immense and complex world of the United States government. At first, these terms appear completely foreign, but as Jamie Frank’s students learn the content of the US Government and Politics course with ease, the fog clears. Frank’s ability to teach content with clarity and simplicity is a skill she has developed over her 15 years of being a teacher at WCHS. Despite her extensive experience as an AP US Government and Politics, AP Psychology and formerly Law teacher, this was not always what she wanted to do.
“I always said I would never become a teacher because my parents were teachers,” Frank said. “But as I spent more time in politics and working on Capitol Hill, I realized I did not want to be a part of politics anymore. After working for a nonprofit organization that would go to prisons and test prisoners’ literacy, it made me want to get involved in education to help students grow in their reading and writing skills and teach the topics I studied in college, like politics.”
Frank’s experience working on Capitol Hill gave her extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the government, which she brings into her AP US Government and Politics classes daily. Frank enjoys teaching students about their role in the government and how they can apply what they learn to their current and future actions.
“One of my favorite parts about being a teacher is getting my students to connect to the topics they are learning,” Frank said. “Since I teach AP Psychology and AP US Government and Politics, it is easier to apply my teachings to students’ everyday lives. This helps students learn those topics because it becomes more engaging when I can make history a story.”
Frank often brings her therapy-trained dog, Chloe, to school, and she is also currently training her other dog, Sadie, to become a therapy dog. By taking the time out of her life to train both her dogs to become therapy dogs so that she could bring them to school with her, Frank is committed to making WCHS a more enjoyable and relaxing environment.
“Ms. Frank stands out [as a teacher] because she makes her classroom very welcoming by making jokes and relating to students through stories, instead of just knowing them as students,” WCHS junior and AP Psychology student Syndey Langer said. “She is very engaging and shows genuine interest when students are talking to her. It is important for teachers to be enthusiastic about what they teach, like Ms. Frank, since their attitudes influence students.”
A teacher’s impact on a student’s life can be far-reaching and more formative than some might think. Frank’s sincere and enthusiastic lessons have been so impactful on students and have even influenced her students’ career paths.
“As a teacher, I also really enjoy it when former students come back and tell me that they majored in psychology or they became lawyers after taking law class because it shows my teachings had a real impact on my students,” Frank said. “Despite this being a more generic statement, I really do enjoy seeing the future generations grow and become successful.”
