Dr. Debrah Hall is a Support Services teacher here at Lamar who wonderfully guides students both in and out of the classroom.
Hall’s passion for teaching stemmed from an early age and has been a lifelong devotion.
“I wanted to become a teacher because when I was in elementary school, I was asked to be a helper in a class with kids that had special needs and I just became very passionate about wanting to do that work,” Hall said.
Working with all kinds of students from all sorts of backgrounds, Hall has not always had the easiest job.
“I’ve had lots of trouble with difficult students,” Hall said. ”Whether it be physical restraining, emotional outbursts or self-regulation issues. I just see it as a challenge in a way to help them learn how to regulate.”
Despite any difficulties, Hall loves her job.
“I love teaching Support Services,” Hall said. ”I offer students strategies on how to be successful in school and out of school. I’m passionate about teaching students.”
While her job is incredibly rewarding, it can also have its setbacks.
“I don’t like leaving my kids so if my grandkids have something going on at their school, I don’t like being absent from my classes so flexibility can be an issue,” Hall said.
Building connections with her students is important to Hall and she hopes that they will remember her class in a fond way.
“I think some of my students will think I was strict and some will think I was fair,” Hall said. “All of them know they can come to me if they need anything.”
Teaching students information is very important but Hall wants to pass on wisdom as well.
“I would remind my students that they always recognize how valuable they are and that they always advocate for themselves,” Hall said.
Before Covid, Hall had quit her previous position as a head of school to open an exercise studio which had to close due to the pandemic but to Hall, it was a good thing.
“I’m back here teaching again and I really, really like it,” Hall said. “In education, the higher up you advance, the further away you get from why you started teaching, which is being with students.”
I really enjoy being in her class and I mean it too. A kind-hearted person, caring teacher and a good coworker to Mr. Terance Green, Dr. Hall is a good choice for a National Teacher of the Year, in my opinion.
