Through the red marks penned on assignments, Michelle Masse has been known for her English teaching at LHS. But there’s more to a teacher than than a person who puts grades on papers and report cards. They have personal lives too. Mrs. Masse is no exception.
After school the vacant desks are in rows with chairs turned upside on top of them. The students in her 7th period class rushed home minutes before. Her desk is grey with an aqua top, holding neat piles of papers and books. To her left is her sleek black computer and bulletin board full of photos of her son, her husband, herself, and her pet dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
At the very top, letters spell out “Mrs. Masse,” which is also surrounded by more photos that were given to her, like a pink giraffe and drawing of a rocket by her son. Behind her is a bookshelf where her coat and bag sit.
One glance around Masse’s room makes her passion for English apparent immediately. There are quotes of inspiration posted and a board in the back of the room with multiple personality descriptions, showing students that it’s okay to be oneself. Up front stands a podium where she conducts her lessons with the use of the whiteboard and occasionally a projector. The podium is covered in handwritten names of students past and present.
Masse sits in her chair and greets me with a slight smile, a corrected test in front of her on top of a red notebook. Her crimson coat rests over the back of her chair.
Taking a seat, Masse crosses one leg over the other and lightly grips her left elbow with her right hand.
Masse says that she had thought of attending law school in hopes of becoming a lawyer, until she had decided to go into education to teach literature, adding that her father had also been a teacher.
Masse says she enjoys her job for multiple reasons, but admits her favorite part is “when kids come back and thank you.”
Although there are positives, there’s also a bit of negativity in being a teacher. “The behavior part; seeing kids you know could do better but choose not to is what bothers me,” Masse admits.
As a result, she hopes to see a few changes. Masse hopes for a smaller class sizes, less government imposed curriculum mandates, and more parental involvement.
“I think I’m best at correcting tests quickly and being organized,” says Masse.
Like most English teachers, Masse is a reader. Her favorite book is Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Masse enjoys the point of view it is told in and tends to enjoy books that are on the topic of tragedy.
Outside of LHS, Masse does mom things, like cooking dinner and spending time with her family.
“My favorite meal is a cheeseburger with fries,” she says, and she especially enjoys sharing that meal with her son, Carter, who’s in fourth grade.
“I recently went to his parent teacher conference and they said he’s respectful and polite. He’s not a straight A student, but makes up for it by being a good boy,” she says.
When Carter isn’t taking up her time, she might be found walking her pet dog, Tessa, as long as General Hospital isn’t on TV. She also enjoys spending time with her husband Jeff and their friends.
Her ideal family night is “Going out to dinner, and then watching a movie,” she says. Her favorite movie is Fear.
If she ever has the opportunity to make three wishes, one would be to meet the cast of General Hospital, another is having summer weather all year long, and lastly, she passionately divulged, “I’d wish for my son to have a happy life.”
