Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Amanda Miles South Albany High Schools Photography and Digital Arts Teacher

Amanda Miles and her husband in Vagas, Navada 


Amanda Miles is a high school teacher where she teachers digital arts and photography. She has been teaching in this job since 2006 at South Albany High School in Albany, Oregon. She has been married for 17 years and has one son. Her job is one of a kind at south albany highshool no one else in the school. Her students are always really engaged and wanting to learn about the digital arts world along with photography. Amanda always puts the students artwork that they make in her classes all over the walls in her classroom. 


What was it like working as a school teacher during the pandemic?

Amanda says that working as a school teacher during the pandemic is hard because the school expects them to go from teaching remotely to teaching in-person simultaneously, which is hard on all teachers. 


What has changed from when you started your job from now?

The change between when she started her job in 2006 to now she had to learn how to teach remotely very fast with the pandemic shutting the schools down for a while. She also had to show all of her students how to look at the lessons and do their assignments on Canvas which is an online learning platform. 


What is the best part of your job?

The best part of Amanda’s job is that she can create relationships with her student’s whether it is in person or online. 


What has been a challage with your job?

What has been struggling with is she can’t get any more breaks during her lessons as she used to during her lessons because now all of her breaks she disinfecting her classroom and her equipment


What covid regulations are you following at your job?

The covid regulations that the school and Amanda are following during this pandemic sis she is disinfecting all of her desks and equipment that the students use along with wearing masks when they have in-person school. 


What do you wish you could change about your job right now during the pandemic?

Amanda wishes she could have more funding for more equipment so each and every student could have their tablet so they could check them out and take home to do their homework instead of all the kids having to share the tablets and cameras 


Where did you go to school?

Amanda went to McKay High School in Salem, Oregon. she also went to college at willamette university


Who is your role model for your job and career

Amanda’s idol was her former teacher Mr. David and because of what she went through in high school if it wasn’t because of him she doesn't know if she would have stuck up with all of the things she challenged or have been where she is today 

If you could do any job in the world what would it be and why?

Amanda wouldn’t change her job for the world she worked so hard to get to where she’s at right now. The digital arts program, helped her shape her career to what it is now. She loves the kids she teaches because they always surprise her with how much they go above and beyond on their work in her class. The kids also make her job fun each and every day. 


At a Glance:

Occupation: High school teacher at South Albany High School 

Where your job is located: Albany, Oregon

How many years have you been at your job:  years

Job title: Digital arts, photography, and coding teacher

Where did you go to school: Mckay High School in Salem and went to college to willamette university

Favorite place to visit: The beach

Favorite sports team: She doesn’t follow sports but she supports the teams at her job and as she quotes it “GO REDHAWKS”

Years married: 17 years

Children: One 

Dream vacation: Paris, France