Did you know that several of Harriton’s teachers have actually attended the school as a student themselves? We sat down with Señora Padilla-Telfer, who is a Spanish teacher here at school, to find out all about her experiences as both a teacher and a student, and the effect both have had on her.

Harriton Banner: Did you enjoy your time at Harriton?

Señora Padilla-Telfer: I loved my time at Harriton actually.

HB: How has it changed?

Sra. PT: The entire building is brand new and there are obviously a lot of new teachers since a lot of time has passed. School spirit is about the same although I was hoping it would change for the better, but for as small as we were at my time I feel as if we had more spirit than now. There are 1200 students now and there were only 500 of us, and the same amount of people showed up to games as now. That’s not to say that we can’t change things.

HB:  How is it the same?

Sra. PT: Mrs. Adams, Mr. Santamaria, Ms. Demaray, and Mr. Perrone are still here. The dedication of the teachers to the students is still the same, if not even better. Also the student teacher relationships are still the same, such as the students caring about the teachers and vice versa. Academics are very similar, people are still striving to do very well. Overall, the climate of the school of everyone trying to be the best that they can be has remained about the same.

HB: Would you say your years here were some of your best?

Sra. PT: I would say my years here are some of my best second to college. I had great times with my teachers, friends, and with extracurricular activities.

HB: As a student here, did you have any idea that one day you would teach?

Sra. PT: I didn’t think I would ever want to be a teacher because I was super afraid of being in front of people, and never did I think I would apply for a job that would land me anywhere near here. I originally applied for a job at Lower Merion High School and I was transferred here, so it was surprising that I ended up here in the end.

I originally thought I should maybe be an elementary school teacher, but then I realized maybe I should teach Spanish and the older kids aren’t as scary as I thought.

HB: Has having been a student here helped you to relate to students taking your class?

Sra. PT: It has helped me a little bit, but you have to remember that I was a native speaker so my experience was different than most people. I do remember how rigorous the classes could be so I try to incorporate a balance of rigor and fun because I had amazing teachers who expected a lot from us. At the same time, I want to make sure I’m bringing fun just like my teachers did.

Part of what makes Harriton so special is it’s dedicated and motivated staff.  To think that Harriton itself shaped many of these faculty members is pretty impressive.