Teacher Appreciation Column: Ms Sotillo

There are many reasons why Ms. Sotillo is so amazing. Earlier within the year, I was contemplating whether I wanted to stay in school for four full years or graduate early, Ms. Sotillio took time out of her day to give pros and cons to both. She has also gotten me to enjoy the subject of English as opposed to previous years with previous teachers. With all this being said I could not thank Ms.  Sotillo enough for all of what she’s done.

Q&A with Ms Sotillo

When did you start teaching?

“I started teaching in 2003 when I was 22.”

Have you taught at City High your whole career?

“No, I started in Minneapolis. My husband and I moved back to Iowa and I taught in a small town outside of Cedar Falls. Then we moved to Iowa City and I subbed at Elizabeth Tate High School, taught at Northwest for eight years, and now I’m I’ve been at City High for the last four years. I’ve definitely moved around a lot in my career.”

Why did you choose this career rather than any other career or profession out there?

“I felt like this career combined everything that I loved. I love working with kids, literature, and writing. Its performance there definitely is a performance side to teaching. I also knew it was going to be challenging for me and it would force to just grow my whole life and learn. I would have to learn new things with my students. There are always new technologies and opportunities, but I still love it over 20 years later. There is nothing else I could ever see myself doing”

What are some obstacles you faced when you first started teaching?

“I think just finding a balance between school and home. I have put so much time and mental energy and devotion into this job and sometimes it can just be very hard not to bring it home with you. Obviously, sometimes you have to bring it home like grading papers or such. I would say it was just trying to find balance.”

What sparked an interest in wanting to teach?

“I had some really gifted English teachers and really influential teachers. My seventh-grade language arts teachers and my high school AP Literature teacher both really inspired me to want to become a teacher. I started out as a theater major and I was going to originally make it big in New York! However, I found out I had to quickly make a switch in my life.”