Today we are profiling Ms. Bonanno, a new addition to the IHA faculty and family. 

1.  What made you want to become a teacher?

I wanted to become a teacher because I wanted to make a difference in children’s lives as they were growing up. I had amazing teachers who inspired me to be my best self and truly helped me to appreciate and value education.

2.  What classes and subjects do you teach here?

I teach World History Honors and AP European History.

3. How long have you been teaching?

This is my first year at IHA but this is my 6th year teaching.

4. What grade did you teach before this?

I taught the middle school level – 6th, 7th, and 8th grade social studies.

5. What made you want to teach history? 

When I was in high school and had to start thinking about my future career, I had to think about what I loved to do – something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I knew I had a passion for learning about history, and I ultimately decided I wanted to teach others about history. I wanted to inspire others to find their passions, educate themselves, and learn about the world – like my teachers did for me. 

6. What is your favorite part about being a teacher?

I love helping students realize their full potential. I live for the “aha” moments students have when they are able to complete a challenging task or do something they couldn’t do before. One of my favorite feelings is helping students see how interesting history can be.

7. What is the biggest challenge of being a teacher?

The biggest challenge of being a teacher is definitely all of the preparation it takes to get lessons and activities ready; it is very time-consuming. It is also difficult teaching all of the different historical topics in a limited amount of time. I wish I had more time to teach about a variety of other things. 

8. If you could add anything into the curriculum that you were most interested in, what would it be? 

When I was in college, the classes I loved the most were classes that focused on other regions of the world: Asian History, the History of Latin America, or the History of Africa. I feel those topics aren’t covered in many high schools. They were some of the most interesting classes I was able to take in college, so I would love to add them to the history curriculum if I could.

9. What do you think makes your teaching style unique from that of others?

Each teacher has their own teaching style but I think one of the things that makes my style unique is that I come up with alternative ways for students to show their learning. For example, in my next unit for world history, everyone will be participating in a rap battle to show their understanding of the enlightenment thinkers. I think having creative outlets to show student learning is something that makes my teaching style unique. 

10. How do you structure your time to manage all of the duties associated with teaching?

Time management is really important! I use all of the prep periods as efficiently as I can and set up certain times dedicated on the weekends to get work done as needed. I have different goals every week of things that need to get done, and I plan out my time every week to make sure I am able to hit those goals. 

11. What interests do you pursue outside of school?

Outside of school, I am very into fitness. I go to the gym six days a week and even take kickboxing classes. I am also involved in my church, and I am part of the Catholic Daughters of America. My mom is the local regent of the Joan of Arc chapter, and I just recently joined. The group meets once a month and raises money for the local soup kitchen and the National Right to Life Committee. In addition, I am also a volunteer at Ascend Hospice; I am a companionship volunteer which means I help hospice patients by making friendly visits, reading to patients, writing letters, running errands, and simply just being there for them.

By Emma Bossbaly’26 Staff Writer