Chloe Harris, Staff Writer Mrs. Harris taught seventh grade English for three and a half years before teaching eleventh and twelfth graders in economics, personal finance, government, and AP government. Her bubbly personality ensures that the class is always filled with games and laughter. Mrs. Harris grew up in Portland, Oregon, receiving an education at Western Oregon University and George Washington University Law School. She worked as a lawyer for twenty years and then started teaching at NCS in 2018. When Mrs. Harris was a lawyer, she represented big banks, but after working for a firm for two decades, she grew tired of sitting in a cubicle and going to court. In other words, she felt burnt out, like she was just practicing law for the money, not because she actually enjoyed it. Fortunately, she found the perfect job to use her abilities: teaching! As a teacher, Mrs. Harris uses her skills in persuasive speaking in the classroom. She’s also accustomed to viewing things from different angles, just like how she would in the courtroom. She says that teaching is a lot more fun and a better fit for her audacious personality. Mrs. Harris loves teaching because the classroom is filled with various ideas and opinions; every day is different. Most upper school students are aware that Mrs. Harris recently made a significant switch from teaching 7th grade to 10-12 grade. She loved the lively, bold personalities in middle school, but she's glad she doesn't have to deal with as many students singing Disney songs and poking each other with pencils! Whenever a seventh grader sees her in the halls, they say that they miss her lessons and cheerful personality. Photo by Lily Strickland; Eighth grader Charlotte Walz and freshman Madeline Martinez flash their smiles with Mrs. Harris during study hall. Besides her impact at Norfolk Christian, Mrs. Harris enjoys spending time with her family and watching TV at home. After watching the most recent season of The Amazing Race, she was inspired by the winners of the season, Penn and Kim. She commented: “my husband and I would make a fierce Amazing Race team--we have complementary skills. He's a CPA, a detailed guy, so he'd be the one thinking three steps ahead, making sure we didn't lose things along the way, and tackling challenges that required any sort of athletic ability. I'd be stopping strangers on the street for help and taking on any tasks involving animals, crafts, or embarrassing costumes.”
Another fun fact about Mrs. Harris is that she would love to own an otter as an exotic pet, but sadly they are only legal in Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, and Nebraska. She likes otters because of their squeaking sounds and adventurous nature. Evidently, Mrs. Harris has a spontaneous side as well. She switched to teaching after a successful law career, and, as a result, she has enriched the lives of various NCS students! Mrs. Harris is very thankful that God opened her eyes to a job where she would get to harness her personality and engage with students of all ages.
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