Ms. Rachel Pangu has made a career teaching her passions with both preschool and high school students everyday, all while working at the same school as her daughter.
Interior Design, Human Growth and Development, Child Growth and Development, Methods of Teaching and Learning, Managing the Learning Environment, Introduction into Early Childhood Education, and directing The Child Learning Center, are all responsibilities Pangu takes on as a teacher at Foran.
However, she did not originally see herself on this path. Originally, she was interested in agricultural education and international studies.
“I actually did not enter to go into teaching, and then when I did my student teaching experience I went to a high school, and absolutely loved it…I felt how much fun I could have and how energized I was by that kind of community. Then, I changed paths and decided that I was going to go into teaching,” says Pangu.
Pangu states, “During that time, I was really focused on raising kids and their experiences, and saw an opening for a Family Consumer Science Teacher. I saw that that involved culinary arts, interior design, but also child development, which I was very interested in at the time.”
Pangu not only educates high school students on various topics, she also advises The Child Learning Center, a preschool connected to Foran.
“My overall responsibility is to make sure that everyday, in terms of overall well-being, in terms of health, safety, guidance, and just having a safe and stimulating environment,” Pangu states.
She uses her teachings in the high school classroom and preschool classroom to benefit the education of both.
Pangu uses her past experiences and her experience as a mom to further the learning of her students in both levels.
Currently, Pangu’s daughter, Shea Pangu, is a sophomore at Foran. Having a daughter in the same school she teaches has been a unique experience for them both.
S. Pangu states “When I was a freshman, there were a lot of new faces, she was a familiar face that I could always go to and I knew was there. Still today as a sophomore, I’m in my moms room a lot of the time.”
It creates one less stress for both of them while at school and work. They can communicate with each other, but are still able to go their own separate ways until the end of the day.
“They understand they have their responsibilities and I have my responsibilities, they check in when they need to…It was kind of weird at first but I think it’s nice to have them be able to pop in, if they need something,” says R. Pangu.
Shea loves having her mother teach within the same school. It makes her feel more comfortable knowing she has someone she is close to.
Not only that, but having her mother as a teacher in the Child Learning Center has allowed Shea to form bonds with the kids due to her moms position in the program.
“It’s great when she finds students who want to be teachers and helps them get on the path to having their dream job and going to college for what they want to become,” S. Pangu states.
