Theresa Meier is a little different than the average Jacksonville High School teacher. With her tie-dye leggings and classroom that constantly smells like patchouli, Meier is a teacher than connects on a personal level with her students.
She grew up in Springfield and still lives there despite working at JHS. Like almost all of us, she was one of those kids that always said they “can’t wait to get out of here.” “Yet something keeps me here,” she told me. “Something keeps me connected; the memories I made growing up with the people I love.” She also said she loved growing up in the 90’s. “The economy was good, the music was great, and the clothes – well, let’s be honest, 90’s fashion is back in full trend.”
Although she loved playing school as a child, being a teacher was not her first idea. She attended Lincoln Land Community College and the University of Illinois at Springfield where she switched her major a total of seven times before finally realizing she wanted to be a teacher. Meier said when she finally came upon this realization she said “The answer was so clear, like it had been there all along, like any other option didn’t make sense – I wanted to be a teacher.”
She said her favorite part of her job is interacting with high school kids. “It is the coming-of-age time, when students start their journey obsessing to be unique, yet cling to each other and familiarities, and then over the years begin to find the voice and become (somewhat) independent individuals.”
Her lights are usually half off and her room smells phenomenal, so if you get a chance to stop by her classroom, it would definitely be to your benefit.