Leah Nook Frost

Name: Leah Nook Frost lean

Position: district wide EL teacher/ 8th grade exploratory Spanish teacher/ middle school cross country coach

Years at MAMS: 2

Years in Education: complicated.. 9? But only a couple teaching in a classroom

What is the strangest job that you’ve ever had?
Probably working in an insectarium. I collected things for bugs to eat and took care of exotic insects. Think-hissing cockroaches! I also worked for a moving company. The job was pretty straightforward, but some of the things we moved were beyond my wildest imagination!

If you could switch jobs with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Oh boy. I'd like to think it would be with someone who is effecting positive change and yet also manages to live life as a bon-vivant and enjoy life's beauties. Who's that? The Dalai Lama?.. I hear he consumes lots of milkshakes. Also, he'd make a great middle school teacher!

If you had some free time, how would you spend it? OR How do you spend your summer vacations?
Spending time with my family and friends, making art, running, hiking, xc skiing, swimming, running races, and eating!

What does a typical day at MAMS look like for you?
There is not much typical in the EL position. We have EL students in three elementary schools, the middle school, and the high school- all with different needs. I do meet with students to work with them one-on-one or in small groups in a somewhat scheduled way, but there is a lot of stuff that just pops up on a daily basis to figure out. That is generally my morning. I then often eat lunch in the car between schools and maybe go spray-paint big roots and mark the xc course and then zip over to get ready for the Spanish classes I teach in the afternoon. Then, in season, I change quickly and head out to 'the tree' to meet the team for practice and run around for a couple hours chasing kids.

What do you love about middle school?
Middle school kids are super goofy and fun! They are smart and curious, vulnerable and impressionable. These are formative years and I feel lucky to work with kids at this age and help them as they find themselves and their place in the world.