Throughout her 18 years of teaching (13 of which she spent at Highlands), English Teacher Lauren Peterson has made countless achievements in the world of teaching. A Highlands Alumni, Peterson completed her undergraduate at Indiana University with majors in English and Comparative Religions.
Although she wasn’t originally interested in pursuing a major in education, Peterson attended a teacher recruitment fair in Miami, FL where she was immediately hired. She proceeded to get her Master’s degree at a number of different universities.
Teaching multiple notoriously difficult classes, such as AP Language, would discourage many teachers. Peterson, however, keeps her head up high, and her strong passion for teaching makes it easy.
Peterson expressed: “I love that I get to be creative… the district is amazing and I am trusted to teach a certain way.”
Peterson’s ability to stay positive despite the obstacles life throws at her is contagious. English teacher Jennifer Nash, a close friend of Peterson’s, explained: “She is really good at seeing the big picture, while still paying attention to the little details that get people there.”
Nash continued about how Peterson has impacted her school life: “She wakes up peppy and happy… she has a sort of exuberant personality that rubs off on the people around her.”
Senior Grace Wissman agreed: “Every time I walk into her classroom, it’s a fun time. She’s a very innovative teacher.”
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Peterson has also made significant contributions to the field of education through her writing. In 2020, Peterson co-authored the official AMSCO AP Language & Composition textbook published by Perfection Learning. The textbook is used for all AP Language courses at Highlands as well as numerous schools throughout the U.S.
In all, Peterson does it for the students. She explained: “I love that my day is never the same. Every day there is a new fire to put out, or a new thing to learn, or a new opportunity.”
Students at Highlands are lucky to know there is always a positive corner in room 216.