Sarissa Moll decided to become a teacher to make a difference in her students’ lives.
“So many young children are dealing with adult problems,” she said. “I want to be a safe resource for them to talk to and let them know that I understand what they’re going through, because I’ve been there, too.”
A former foster child, Moll moved around frequently as a kid. Although she did fairly well in school, she tended to fly under the radar.
“I never had a teacher who really noticed me until high school,” she said. “I wanted to become the teacher who sees the quiet kids, the wallflowers, the shy kids, and to be there for them.”
Now a 2021 graduate of the Alternative Teacher Certification Pathway at Texas A&M University–Central Texas and a sixth-grade reading teacher at Copperas Cove Junior High, Moll begins her school day mostly with administrative tasks.
“Before the kids arrive, I check my mailbox and emails, make copies and printouts if needed, set up my classroom screen and make sure laptop chargers and other supplies are out and ready to use,” she said.
Moll teaches six classes a day with a planning period in the middle when she collaborates with the other sixth-grade teachers on staff. Her morning classes are small enough that students can usually participate in the discussions as a whole; the larger afternoon classes might pair up students or break into smaller groups to increase opportunities for interaction.
At the end of the day, Moll sticks around until 4:30 or 5 p.m. to grade assignments, contact parents and tidy up her classroom before heading home to spend time with her fiancé and toddler, often bringing along paperwork she wasn’t able to finish during the day. She said the best and the most challenging parts of her job are two sides of the same coin.
“The best part is those surprising moments when you realize that you actually got through to kids you didn’t think you were reaching,” Moll said. “The hardest part is resistance from the ones you’re trying so hard to reach and getting them to tap into their potential.”
Moll credits the A&M–Central Texas Alternative Teacher Certification Pathway with doing a good job of preparing her to handle real-world classroom situations.
“You can take as many courses as you want to learn how to be a good teacher, but to get into the actual classroom during clinical observations was the most beneficial aspect for me,” she said. “It really helped me truly understand the strategies, methods and techniques I was learning.”
To anyone who might be considering a career — or a career shift — into teaching, Moll recommends honing time management skills and having a good support system in place.
“Don’t be afraid to communicate with your professors and classmates if you get in a crunch,” she said. “They understand. We’re all in school, but they realize that everyone still has a life outside the classroom, too.”
With flexible, convenient class schedules to accommodate working adults with family responsibilities, the Alternative Teacher Certification Pathway at Texas A&M University–Central Texas is designed to fast-track students onto a new career path in teaching. Classes are offered through the main campus in Killeen and at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center in Hutto. For more information, call 254.519.5438 or visit tamuct.edu/teach.
