See Me After Class
Students in school, especially younger ones, tend to believe that their teachers' lives revolve solely around school. Some children even believe that their teachers live in the school. As we grow up, we learn that teacher do not in fact, live at school. And as we grow older still, we learn that teachers have rich and vibrant lives outside of the classroom.
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Rachel Esser is social studies teacher at Dr. EP Scarlett High School in Calgary Alta. She graduated with her education degree from Mount Royal University in 2020 right at the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. From there, she took substitute teaching positions around Calgary until she got her contract with Dr. EP Scarlet in March of 2022.
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Outside of school, Esser is a publisher author with her most notable work to date being a short story published in Chicken Soup for the Soul entitled, “Mortimer”. As well, Esser is an aspiring musician. She has multiple songs published on Spotify that she wrote with her brother. Rachel takes this skill to her students as one of her favourite ways of teaching is to write a rap about the unit.
Rachel Shows off her short story, "Mortimer” which she wrote about her cat in Calgary on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Rachel gets dressed and ready for a rare day off in her home in Calgary on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022.
Rachel prepares a quick lunch to help get her through the day in Calgary on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022.
Rachel adds the finishing touches to her Valentine on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. The Valentine also includes a link to a song she wrote just for the occasion.
In a fit of procrastination, Rachel decides to take her dog Radley to the local off-leach park in Calgary on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022.
Rachel tries to convince her dog Radley to play with a new toy in Calgary on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022.
Rachel works on producing some music for her class. Rachel likes to write songs for the various social studies units she teaches in an effort to make her students take interest in the material. Taken on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022.
Rachel, left, and her boyfriend Ben relax on the couch after a long day of work in Calgary on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Rachel celebrates after learning that her newest short story “Sticks and Stones” is going to be published in an upcoming issue of Last Girls Club magazine on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Rachel’s cat Maisy, shows up to interrupt Rachel’s editing in Calgary on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
After a few setbacks, Rachel finally completes the musical track for her song about the French Revolution in Calgary on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Rachel shows off her finished rap about the French Revolution in Calgary on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. She is now ready to start recording.
Rachel works on marking some of her student’s assignments in Calgary on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. She often uses a pen and paper to make additional notes while she’s reviewing her student’s work.
Rachel takes a quick break from grading assignments to cuddle with her pets in Calgary on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
Rachel retires to her bedroom where she likes to work on her journaling in Calgary on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Rachel often uses bullet journaling as a way to help plan out her stories.
Rachel works on planning her next short story in Calgary on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
After hours of work, Rachel finishes editing a rap she wrote for her students about World War One in Calgary on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
Rachel leaves to attend a late meeting in Calgary on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.
