From the moment she was in middle school, Mrs. Fatemi was always told she should become a teacher. At first, she refused the idea, she believed she had other goals and aspirations for herself.
Brianne Fatemi is a teacher at HP and she teaches Film, Sculpture, and Painting. Going back, Fatemi started her college education differently than most teachers. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Art, and Science. Fatemi has had plenty of education in a variety of subjects, she took Biology and all the science courses to become a Physician’s Assistant.
At first, she believed that’s what she wanted to be, and the classes she took convinced her otherwise. So she decided to go a different route she hadn’t considered yet. She wished to become a professor, specifically an art professor. She taught as an adjunct professor at UCLA, teaching every few semesters since it isn’t a full-time job. At the time, she was also working towards her teaching credential.
While at UCLA, her colleagues admired her and considered hiring her. However, she believed that as an adjunct professor,there would not be enough stability. She required something permanent.
“I guess I’ve always been a teacher,” Fatemi says, “They said, ‘If you become a teacher you should come back and we’ll hire you’.”
As her first job, she taught the piano and had 8 students. She’s had various jobs, all involving some sort of teaching which were able to help her reach her goal of becoming a teacher.
Her middle school teachers always told her she should consider becoming a teacher in her future. However, she didn’t want to teach middle school, she wanted to teach high school.
Mrs. Fatemi was a substitute teacher for 3 years while obtaining her teaching credential. She was an after school teacher in one of the schools she taught at. She taught wood working in the engineering department.
However while being a teacher, Fatemi notes there’s always been one thing she struggles with. It’s difficult at times to transition into her second job, that of being a mom. She gets home late at times and still has yet to clean and feed her kids and care for them. But there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for them. However, it’s rewarding being both a mother and teacher. She is able to have a job she aspired to do and was able to accomplish. She is lucky enough to be able to be passionate about her career.
“There’s that juggle, the role of being a wife, a mom, and a teacher.”
Soon this upcoming semester she will be the advisor for The Bible Club at HP, hoping to inspire many students.
Written by Emily Negrete, Staff Writer