Emily Murphy is a new fixture at our high school. She leads the classroom with enthusiasm and love every class she teaches. She guides each student with a deep passion and care. 

Before coming to our school, she spent 10 years teaching at Bryan High School, where she specialized in family consumer science. She taught culinary and food, which she still loves.  She was also the freshman academy coordinator for two and a half years. 

When asked what motivated her to join our school, she replied, “I live five minutes away, so that was a big deciding factor. There were a lot of structural changes going on in Omaha Public Schools at the time. And I was adjusting, so I was ready to adjust to and to take a leap of faith,” Murphy said.

Diving into her passion for teaching food, to which she explained, “I’ve wanted to be a high school FCS teacher since I was in high school. I took my first food class when I was a freshman, and took it all throughout high school. One of my high school FCS teachers was Mr. Sulzmans mother-in-law, and she was really an inspiration for me when I was in high school. She guided me towards it, and I knew that there were people needed, so I pursued it.”

Managing a schedule as a teacher can be tough, and especially when adjusting to a new schedule. “It takes a lot of off contract time,” Murphy said. For example, I always had to go pick-up what I needed for my classes in the grocery stores, but now, online shopping has really saved me a lot. But nevertheless,  I’ve always been a busy person, so it doesn’t bother me, and I’ve always liked moving and trying to improve things.” Despite this, she said she loves what she does and wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Murphy said her favorite aspect about being a teacher is watching the students grow, “like today they’re doing something new and they’re just fumbling along, but they’re figuring it out as they go,” she said.

When asked about what she would be doing if she were not teaching, Murphy responded, “I was very much a teacher’s pet. I never got in trouble for being naughty because I always had good relationships with my teachers.” It’s clear that her love of teaching and building relationships has been a part of her for a long time. 

If Murphy wasn’t a teacher, she thinks, “Before I wanted to be a teacher I wanted to be a lawyer, but if I left education tomorrow I would go into real estate” 

Her students say they have enjoyed taking her class this year. Olivia Ludo said, “She’s a fantastic teacher. She has a great sense of humor, and she’s more like a friend in the classroom.” Braytn Nespor said, “She’s a kind teacher who knows what she’s doing and gets things done. She is an underrated teacher.”