Welcome Mrs. Esbenshade!
Welcome!
September 10, 2021
As we begin a new school year, you may see some new faces around GMC. One of these faces who you may or may not know yet is Mrs. Esbenshade, our new science and freshman success teacher.
Mrs. Esbenshade has been teaching science for the past 15 years. In college, Mrs. Esbenshade was originally an English major; however, it was the impact of her geology professor that drove her to the physical sciences and physics, both of which she teaches here at GMC. Prior to this, she worked as a geologist for 13 years. She began expanding her skillset when her son was born so she would have more opportunities to work and still be close to her family. One of these new endeavors was a program in which Mrs. Esbenshade worked in helping adult students to prepare for the GED exam. This is when she knew teaching was what she was being called to do.
While Mrs. Esbenshade did not begin teaching from the start of her career, it was always something she was drawn to when she was younger. “I used to line my stuffed animals in a row and teach them,” says Esbenshade. “My dad would join my classroom when he came home from work…I didn’t realize my desire to teach until I was around thirty. But I guess it was always there, just hidden, all along.”
Mrs. Esbenshade began teaching in a smaller school and found that the community of smaller schools appealed to her. When asked why she applied to GMC, Esbenshade expressed, “Once I began teaching in the area, I started hearing wonderful things about GMC. Every time I heard GMC mentioned, it was in a positive light- great students, great staff, great community.” She expands that idea of community into her classroom as well. She asserted that her classroom is also her student’s classroom. She is dedicated to facilitating their learning so they can not only understand the material but also engage and enjoy the learning experience. “I want them to feel ‘at home’ in our classroom” emphasizes Esbenshade. “Also, I hope as the year goes along that my enthusiasm for science will inspire them to dig a little deeper in whichever area of science we are studying.”
We are glad to receive Mrs. Esbenshade into the GMC family so that it might grow closer and stronger this year. Welcome to the family!