Lisa Basich, middle school math teacher

Q: What were you doing before you started working at GCAA?

A: Before I was here I was at the South City campus, and this is my thirty-first year in education. So I was at South City for four years, I was an honors math teacher, as well as an instructional teacher.

Q: What is something that you want people to know about you?

A: What I want people to know about me is that I’m very good teacher. I’m compassionate, I’m patient, I’m respectful, I haven’t really been given that chance. Student’s have been a little too… judgmental, I guess that they think that because I’m new, and they don’t know me, I’m not going to be good at my job, and I can’t do my job well. But I’m good at explaining the math, I’ve always been good at explaining the math, and trying to break it down into just the basics, but some students are very reluctant to let me do that.

Q: What’s your long-term goal for your students or class?  

A: Well my long term goal for my students? Graduate. Graduate from high school, graduate from college, get a job doing something that they really like, and having a life that’s productive and fulfilling.

Q: What are you looking forward to at GCAA?

A: I’m looking forward to seeing my students become better at being not just a student, but as a person; chipping at some of their rough edges. Some of them are- some of them need a little more help and guidance than others, so I look forward to seeing them grow, become more mature, and respectful.

Q: Who motivated you?

A: My dad told me, I still remember where we were in the house, when he told me to be whatever I wanted to be, and I knew even in fifth grade that I wanted to be a teacher. And I was good at math, classmates asked me for help often, and I helped them, they understood it and from then on I knew that I wanted to be a good teacher.

Q: When did you decide to be a teacher?

A: When I was in fifth grade decades ago, I was the first and only fifth grader to work every single problem in the math book, even the supplemental problems in the back of the book. I’ve just always been good at it. I just really enjoyed doing it to this day. I like working math puzzles or word puzzles; Any type of word, letter, number puzzle, just always loved it.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a teacher?

A: My favorite thing is watching my students grow, and become engrossed in learning math as well with learning how to be a better student, and then watching them blossom.