Laura Devlin is an English teacher here at Huntley High School. She mostly teaches English IV Responsibility and Engagement, and English IV Alienation and Perception. However, first semester she also taught Creative Writing. Devlin went to Quincy Senior High in Quincy Illinois and got her undergrad at Western majoring in English and minoring in Spanish. For her graduate degree, she attended North Central College in Naperville with a degree in Curriculum and Instruction. 

“I have fun. Many of the people I work with are my friends which is great. I also have fun with students. I’m not sure some of them understand my sense of humor, though” Devlin said.

COVID-19 has been very hard on the students, but sometimes people forget that teachers have a hard time too.

“For me, the hardest part is juggling all of the components such as: making sure the weekly previews are perfect and ready to post the Friday before the following week, trying to find time to meet with kids one on one (this is especially hard now that Zero Hour is gone on Wednesdays), having students online and in-person at the same time, and having [technical] issues,” Devlin said. 

Which is so true, and hopefully life can go back to normal so teachers and students do not have to deal with issues like this. Aside from the school aspect of COVID-19, Devlin is looking forward to it being over so she can go out to eat and catch up with all her friends, travel, and not have to wear masks.

Ms. Devlin had an awesome dog named Duffy, whom she loved with her whole heart. He sadly passed away at the beginning of the pandemic last year. She was devastated; however, a friend of hers who runs a rescue in Georgia texted her during summer and asked if she was ready for another dog. She was unsure but said yes, so she and Mrs. Feinstein, a Spanish teacher, drove down in August and picked up the dog! Her new puppy keeps her very busy. Her hobbies include her new puppy, traveling, and reading. Her favorite book is “The Talisman” by Stephen King. 

Devlin is looking forward to the school months after spring break because February and March are when student motivation is low. But when students return after the break the seniors regain motivation again. The break also gives Ms. Devlin time on working here until she retires. After that, she would love to work with dogs and maybe become a pet sitter. She is an awesome teacher here at HHS and has worked here for 24 years. She truly cares about her students and she shows that through her teaching!