If you go to the ninth floor, enter room 9172, and go to the back desk, behind all the colorful magnets and a mountain of paperwork, you will find Deanna Hasty furiously typing away on her computer. Hasty has been at North Atlanta for eleven years and has always been an AP Language teacher, yet this year has taken on a new position. She is now the English Instructional Coach, overseeing the entire English department, shifting from classroom to office.
Hasty never planned to be a teacher. She went to college to study communications, planning to join the media field. However it all changed when she was asked to oversee an English class and the rest is history. When she started to teach at North Atlanta, she immediately felt welcomed by the community. Especially how the parents and teachers work together to give the kids the best education. When she began teaching AP Language, she was only given two sections and, over the years, she was able to turn it into ten. Hasty believed that students needed structure in the classroom and made it her mission to push her students to be their best. However, she always stayed very creative with her lessons, trying to make them fun for the students, designing a murder case to learn argumentative writing. Despite not being her original intentions, she has found a job she loves. “I believe God had a plan for me,” said Hasty. “I think I was put on this earth to be a teacher.”
Hasty found it to be a hard decision to leave the classroom but she knew by leaving, she could help more kids. Now working as the English Language Instructional Coach, she assists teachers with strategies to find innovative ways to help students learn and covers the entire English department, making sure all the courses align and the teachers have the resources to help students succeed. Despite not teaching inside a classroom, she still floats in and out, aiding the teachers with any problems and helping with English testing. “Simply put, I am the support for the English teachers,” Hasty said. “If they need anything, I am the first call.”
Hasty is ready to jump right into the work and is anxious to see what this year holds for her. Along with her new position, she is working as an AP coordinator, advising academic decathlon, gifted kids, and is the head of the Worldly Warriors. She is ready to face the challenge head on, even with everything on her plate. Despite no longer teaching English, Hasty shapes the future of it and North Atlanta is eager to see her inspire the students and teachers.
