Mrs. Hamer was once told by her 12th grade English teacher, Mrs. Evelyn, that she had a great presence. Anyone who has ever been taught by her can speak to this. 

Before Mrs. Hamer got to showcase that presence as a teacher, she was just a child living in Miami in an area called Kendall. Her father owned a restaurant that was known by everyone in the town. She attended a large high school, with a graduating class of 910 kids. Despite the size of her school, and the amount of kids, her presence still stood out. After high school, she went to college at the University of South Florida. She described her college experience as “good times.” She lived in an apartment with friends for most of her time at the school. While in college she worked at a daycare and waited tables at a restaurant. 

Once she had graduated college, she did not want to immediately begin a job teaching. Although being a teacher was the career she always wanted, she decided to have some fun before permanently becoming one. After graduating, she got a job working on a cruise ship. She met her husband while working on the ship, and she was able to explore the places where the ship docked and build relationships with the people who lived in those places. She enjoyed the job a lot, but eventually stopped to pursue a teaching position. 

She began her first teaching job at a Title 1 school in Orlando. She worked there for 4 years, and then took a job at a school in North Carolina before eventually coming to Glen Ridge. She has been teaching for 23 years all together. If she weren’t a teacher, she would want to be a party planner, or event organizer. 

Although she does love her job at Glen Ridge High School, she has had some interesting things happen while working here. When asked what the craziest thing that’s happened to her while teaching was, she told me a story about a kid who threw a desk at her during her first year in Glen Ridge. She thinks the most frustrating part about teaching is kids not living in the moment, and stressing themselves out about the future. Her favorite thing about teaching is being able to help and build relationships with people. Although she loves teaching any age group, she says her favorite is middle school. 

In her free time Mrs. Hamer enjoys baking and cooking. She has 2 sons, and lives nearby with them and her husband. She describes herself as a fun and passionate person, and anyone who comes across her can see that she is correct in her self description.