Teachers can make a significant impact on your love for school. Some can make you hate showing up to school, and some can motivate you to come in. Teachers like Lula McCaskill can keep you showing up every morning. 

McCaskill has been popular among the student body. Former students almost always remember her caring and kind actions. McCaskill has been teaching at South since 2003 when she completed her student teaching. She began her teaching career at Westside High School for two years and then in South Carolina for one year. 

“I’m kind of a people person. I think with students I’m just myself around them. I think that starts a good relationship between us. I know that they know they when they walk into the classroom I start respecting them. No judgments are made. They are who they are and I am who I am,” McCaskill said. 

McCaskill teaches both AP and world history. To her, history is very interesting and one of the most fun subjects one can teach. McCaskill says that history can become story-telling of sorts and all kinds of fun. Although history is the subject she teaches, it isn’t her favorite. McCaskill’s favorite subject is math, something she mentioned she was good at. McCaskill stated that if she wasn’t teaching history, she would be teaching math instead.

However, McCaskill said she is also interested in architecture.

“Same as history, [architecture] is very interesting. I always wanted to know how to plan and design the construction of the building,” she said.

Students aren’t always motivated to learn. Teachers provide many ways to keep the students entertained. For example, giving them food or games to play when they have free time. 

“I know that my students aren’t always excited to learn but it’s different when it comes to food,” McCaskill said. “I have different types of foods around here. I have popcorn, peanut butter, and little snacks to munch on and they really like that. Another thing I always do to get the students moving and excited is that I always try to seem excited, because I believe that if I’m excited then they will be too,” she said. 

When you get a job, you’ll always have those memories with you. Some sad and happy memories. McCaskill shared that she has plenty of happy and sad moments, it just depends on what that moment is caused by. For example, one of her sad moments is that she works graduation each year and watching them all walk down to the stage to receive diplomas. 

“I also have some happy moments, and these moments make me happy as a teacher. When I am teaching and one of my students asks me a really good question, it shows me that they are really attentive and are curious about what I am teaching them,” McCaskill said. 

Leaving high school can be really hard, especially when you leave your favorite teacher behind. The same goes for a teacher watching your students leave. This provides a disadvantage to the many advantages McCaskill brought up. 

“Like, the sad and happy moments. I have many advantages and disadvantages of being a teacher. My advantages are definitely the bonds that I form with my students. My students are basically a part of my routine, so just forming something with them gives me a sense of purpose. I see kids I taught from 2004 and so on, and they are already adults with their own kids. It is very rewarding to see, but I don’t always have those advantages, so my disadvantages would be that I work a lot. We put in a quiet few hours after school and my income is very low. 

Teachers have their own classrooms and in those classrooms, they have rules. One really important rule that McCaskill follows is that anyone is welcome into her classroom. No matter what you’ll always be welcome.