Term 2 has taken off at Coronado High School (CHS) and with its start, Anoushka Franke has started her Islander journey as a new edition to the English department.
Franke got her undergraduate education at University of California, Los Angeles, where she studied English. Franke is passionate about reading and writing, saying it’s “the food of my soul.” At Coronado High, she will be teaching English 11 and English 12.
Before taking this new position, she was working as a case manager for pregnant and parenting teenagers in Los Angeles. Although she loves Los Angeles, Franke moved to San Diego because of her husband’s job. She was also drawn to San Diego because she “really liked the lifestyle for having kids.” Family is very important to Franke. She shared that she has three teenagers and a dog, the combination of whom she calls “her world.”
As she’s settling into teaching at CHS, she wants to learn the curriculum of her courses as well as the culture and flow of the campus. Franke says, “My favorite part of teaching English at Coronado High so far is a tie between the students and my department. I’ve always loved working with teenagers because they are so fun, genuine, energetic, and positive. Also, my department has been really welcoming and they are very excited about literature. It’s very inspiring to be around them too.”
In the classroom, Franke molds her teaching style to what feels right for the students in each class.
“I’m very student responsive”, Franke says, “So there are some classes where students need more interaction and there’s some classes where students need more lecture. I’m very intuitive about that and I will respond to whatever student needs are.”
Many students at Coronado are familiar with the term “Islander Pride,” which is scattered around campus walls. Each letter of pride symbolizes something: problem solving, responsible citizenship, inclusive communities, maintaining dynamic relationships, and being eager & invested. Franke says, “I think inclusive community is most important to me as something I want to be part of. I like the idea of looking out for people who might not feel part of things or that might not be noticed. I think it can make a big difference to someone who might be feeling awkward to be welcomed and to be noticed.”
Outside of teaching, Franke enjoys traveling and loves all the arts, musical and visual. Coronado High’s connection to Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) has excited her. She adds, “I’ve met many students in [Coronado School of the Arts] and other students have shown me their art. I just feel so lucky to be working here and I’m just so excited about it.”
Students and faculty can give her a warm welcome in Room 406.
