New math teacher bonds with mother over a common workplace
After accepting a math teaching position, Sarah-Margaret Heffernon develops a greater appreciation and understanding for what mother and business teacher Dianna Heffernon-Meyers does on a daily basis
By submitted by Dianna Heffernon-Meyers
Business teacher Dianna Heffernon-Meyers and math teacher Sarah-Margaret Heffernon pose for a picture during Homecoming week.
October 12, 2017
With the new school year well underway, many students may have noticed new math teacher Sarah-Margaret Heffernon roaming the halls or teaching in the upper B-hallway. While her face may be unrecognizable to most students and staff, business and computers teacher Dianna Heffernon-Meyers is all too familiar with her presence. In addition to being co-workers, they also share a mother-daughter relationship.
Prior knowledge about the community at the school, as well as her mom already working here, led Sarah-Margaret to apply for this teaching position.
“I decided to work at Mill Valley because my mom worked there and I had also heard how awesome and welcoming the staff was and how great of an environment it was,” Sarah-Margaret said.
Growing up as the daughter of a teacher, Sarah-Margaret was taken to numerous back-to-school nights, football games, basketball games and even school dances. Dianna believes that this exposure to the life of a teacher influenced her daughter’s decision to become a teacher.
“I think I had a huge influence on her choice of career path because ever since she was little she’s been dragged to [school events],” Dianna said. “She got to know those kids and I think that had a huge impact on the choice that she made.”
Seeing her mom positively impact a school during an early part of her life, Sarah-Margaret became inspired to pursue a career in education.
“Watching my mom work in a low-income school for over 25 years and the difference she made there made me want to pursue the same field and make a difference in people’s lives,” Sarah-Margaret said.
Dianna felt grateful for the unusual opportunity to watch her daughter begin her professional career in a way most parents are unable to see.
“A lot of parents spend a lot of time and money helping their kids get through college and developing [their] careers,and then they never get to see them on the job,” Dianna said. “I get to see her and watch her, and it is just heartwarming and I feel really blessed.”
Being able to put the interest of the students before her own needs is advice Dianna hoped would make her daughter more content with her career.
“It is so important that every time you make a decision [that] you just stop and do what you think is best for your kids,” Dianna said. “If you can keep that in mind over the next 30 and 40 years, you will retire very successfully.”
Since the start of the school year, Sarah-Margaret believes that the relationship she shares with her mom has strengthened due to her new knowledge of what it takes to be a teacher.
“My mom and I have grown closer because I finally understand exactly what she has to go through everyday,” Sarah-Margaret said.
Working in the same place as her daughter has allowed Dianna to find new ideas when it comes to teaching.
“She asks me for advice, but she is younger and I am learning a lot from her because she has all these new ideas right out of school that I don’t have,” Dianna said. “It’s been fun to learn from each other.”
Teaching is something Dianna believes will help her daughter change the world for the better.
“I hope that [teaching] helps her to feel like she will leave the world a little bit better of a place than she found it,” Dianna said.
