After working for 15 years as a zookeeper, Union High School’s Emily Hallford started teaching in August of 2021. Hallford said it was the support of her family that made the move from the zoo to the classroom possible.
“I had been doing a thing [zookeeping] for several years and I was good at it, but I wanted to have a more local impact. I knew I had a knack for education through my years of keeper chats. When considering a career change, I thought of the impact my own teachers had in my life, like Mrs. Kneafsey, Mrs. Ridgeway, and Mrs. Phillips, to name a few,” Hallford said. “I realized I wanted to duplicate their engaging lessons and safe classroom environment. Ultimately it was the support and encouragement from family that helped me take a leap from monkeys to human teenagers.”
Hallford is a Union lifer and since taking the job, there have been many rewarding moments.
“My first rewarding project occurred my first-year teaching. I worked with my co-teacher on organizing the Sustainable Living Fair. We reached out to several groups that have a sustainable message. We started with six organizations set up our first year to 15 organizations in attendance last year,” Hallford said. “Since I have the honor to teach Advanced Zoology the most rewarding part is using my connections to bring in some great guests to the classroom. Of course, those guests tend to be of the animal variety. I have brought in my own chickens and pet reptiles. I partnered with Trout in the Classroom where my students raise trout from eggs in the fall and release fingerling fish in mid-spring.”
Her ability to gain access to these animals has set her classroom apart from others and the students leave the classroom with a new appreciation for the world around them.
“I have networked and managed to get a local falconer to present and fly her birds for my students. Plus, I have worked with a local exotic petting zoo who brought in baby kangaroos for my Zoology students to meet. The benefits of these encounters give students a more tangible learning experience. Now they can see in real time how a bird of prey flies, touch a marsupial, and be responsible for raising fish from egg on,” said Hallford.
Being part of the Union Public Schools family has been a great career move for Hallford. Away from school you can usually find her doing amigurumi crochet [crochet animals] and play Dungeons & Dragons.
