From Hurricanes to Sand Storms, Introducing Ms.Yocom to DAA

Ms.Yocom is a teacher, mother, and wife to Mr.Yocom, the new high school principal at DAA. She was born in a very small town in Texas, USA, that had a population smaller than the number of students at DAA. Ms.Yocom, attended UT (University of Texas) and studied as a math major but then went on to study Biology. She has always been on the move, first around America, then Germany, and finally now here in Dubai. Ms.Yocom’s favorite hobby is to either bake with her son (most preferably chocolate chip cookies) or knit. She has a huge fear of hurricanes. She grew up on the coast and has been around them and has always been completely afraid of them. Ms.Yocom’s biggest goal is to travel around the world because she has always been fascinated by culture and history.

What subjects do you teach here at DAA?

“I teach ninth grade Science and IB Biology.”

Were you always interested in science?

Originally, I wanted to be an Astronomer, then I switched to a Math Major but then I realized Calculus was not my strength, and in the end, I did Biology.

What are your strengths as a teacher?

For me, I personally believe that I am a good and warm teacher, I care for my students, which means that I will always put a lot of extra time just for my students and also means that I will have a lot of work.

What are your weaknesses as a teacher?

Because I find myself in these situations by putting in extra work for my students, I also find myself having a lot on my plate. I don’t get to put as much of my attention as I would like to on my tasks, which I find a weakness because I also have a family to be with.

Why did you want to be a teacher?

Originally, I wanted to be a doctor, but then I realized that I didn’t want to be around sick people, and I found out about being a teacher, so I could still help people and teach them to learn about science.

How do you motivate your students?

I will always try to do anything that will lighten up a hard lesson, making science jokes to help with learning, and applying real-world situations to help students understand better the content I am teaching them.

How would you describe your class presence?

For me, it personally depends on each of my classes, it will range from talkative and loud classes to very quiet and calm classrooms, but this doesn’t matter because in the end all of my classes listen and engage perfectly.

What are some tips that you would give to students in high school?

Students need to make sure that they learn early on how to manage their time and balance school and social life properly. Remember to never cram the night before a test, I recommend studying a little bit every day, and it will help your mental health.

Anything else you would like to add?

I would like to add that the DAA Community has been very welcoming and kind to me ever since I have been here. I have never seen this much kindness.