By: Layla Abukhdeir, Staff Writer
After three decades at River Hill High School, beloved 9th-grade English teacher Ms. Land is saying goodbye to the classroom and beginning a new chapter in retirement.
An original member of River Hill’s staff, Ms. Land was hired in March 1996 before the school even opened its doors that August. During her 35-year career in public education, she spent 30 years at River Hill and was there from the very beginning as the school grew into what it is today.
“I am very proud of that,” she says, “I love this school and community and have never been tempted to work anywhere else.”
Ms. Land began her River Hill career as the Theatre Arts teacher and Fine Arts Team Leader. In 2018, she transitioned to teaching English full-time. Looking back on her years at River Hill, she recalls many memorable experiences.
“The memories of the early days when we were creating the school and building a state and national reputation as a school of excellence were really wonderful,” she says.
She also remembers River Hill’s involvement in the development of educational practices that would later become widely used.
She says, “We, our staff and students, were the ‘lab’ for some of the work of curriculum developer, Jay McTighe, as he created the now internationally known and used curriculum development techniques called ‘Understanding by Design.’ That was an honor.”
However, many of her favorite memories come from her years directing theater productions. “I had the joy of bringing 54 productions to life on the River Hill stage,” she says, “We had so much fun and built a wonderful creative community.”
Through these productions, students from the Theatre Arts, Dance, Music, and Visual Arts departments worked together alongside parents and community members to create memorable performances.
Students who have had Ms. Land describe her as both supportive and passionate about teaching. Sophomore Fatima Sadiq remembers the engaging activities in her classroom as a freshman. She says, “I loved acting out the book A Midsummer Night’s Dream in her class and how supportive her teaching style was.”
Sophomore Divya Gohel admires Ms. Land’s enthusiasm for literature. “Ms. Land was always so interested in every single book that she taught. She always put everything into teaching and making sure we grasped the deep topics the books offered,” Gohel says.
“Ms. Land is one of the nicest teachers that I have had,” says freshman Alba Peshtani. “I appreciated how her class wasn’t stressful and that I could have enough time to complete assignments in class without worrying about finishing them for homework. This made me enjoy reading the novels that I was assigned and look forward to having English class.”
“Every morning she always greets us with a nice smile, and she always asks how we’re doing,” says freshman Lena Yumoto. “I feel like Ms. Land is always there to check in on you and make sure that you are okay.”
As she prepares to retire, Ms. Land says, “I will definitely miss some of the staff and the energy of the students,” she adds, “One of the things I love about teaching is that I have opportunities to be among a multi-generational community, which I credit with keeping me from feeling ‘old’.”
She is also especially excited to travel without being limited to school breaks and admits she is eagerly anticipating one simple change: “I am looking forward to not having to get up at 5:15 am!” she says.
Reflecting on the future, Ms. Land shared one of her favorite quotes: “Teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
She says, “I want to live up to that. I want to find ways to make the most of the days ahead and use them all wisely.”
For thirty classes of River Hill students, Ms. Land has done exactly that by using her time and wisdom to leave a lasting impact on the school community. While her presence in the classroom will be missed, her time here will continue to inspire students and staff for years to come.