Gem City Style: Featuring Teachers from Erie High School

Jessica Hunter

This month, Jessica Hunter sat down with three teachers from Erie High School. Learn a litlte bit more about Jessica Cosme, Kimberlee Nikolai, and Stephanie Welser - their inspiration, challenges, goals, and more.

I've recently had the pleasure of touring Erie High, getting to know more about their programs, their new Community School status through the United Way, and was able to speak with three of the teachers about their inspiration, challenges, and accomplishments.

Erie High School Staff: Jessica Cosme (Secondary English Teacher), Kimberlee Nikolai (Marketing Teacher), Stephanie Welser (Art Teacher)

Jessica Hunter (JH): What inspired you to become a high school teacher, and what do you enjoy most about teaching high school students?

Jessica Cosme (JC): I truly feel called upon to teach. Growing up, I loved reading all the board game instructions and then teaching everyone else how to play. Everyone else loved that most of the time. When I got a little older, I was often asked to tutor younger family members and friends. I found out I really enjoyed the smiles of confidence lighting up the faces of those who just came to understand something they previously did not. Then, in college at Penn State Behrend, I took a creative writing elective with George Looney. He taught me how to read like a writer and that changed everything. Through that new lens, the whole world became clearer. Now, I'm a teacher and what I enjoy most is that "aha!" moment when a student "gets it." What I love about teaching in high school is seeing how much the students grow into themselves from ninth to 12th grade. That, and teenagers are hilarious. My job is never, ever boring.

Kimberlee Nikolai (KN): My high school math teacher Mrs. Jackson is who inspired me to become a teacher. I enjoy being able to help the students and be a positive role model for them. I hope that I make an impact in their lives.

Stephanie Welser (SW): My mother was a Kindergarten teacher for over 30 years in my hometown. So I was able to see the impact that she had on the community and the hundreds of students she taught over her career. I wanted to do the same. I initially wanted to teach elementary school, like my mom, and started my Erie Public School career teaching kindergarten at Wayne. When Wayne closed and the district restructured I was moved to a middle school art position and fell in love with the big kids. This is my fourth year at Erie High and it is exactly where I'm meant to be. I adore my students and my colleagues. Being able to work with young adults and encourage them to be their best selves is incredibly rewarding. Hopefully I can be a positive and encouraging influence to my students for many years to come.

Jessica Cosme, English Teacher, Erie High 

Photo: Jessica Hunter

JH: How do you create a positive and inclusive classroom environment that fosters student engagement and learning?

JC: At our school, before we even dive into the content, we spend the first couple days setting the expectations and building relationships. I learned many students do not automatically trust me, and respect is something that must be earned. Being genuine, really listening, and being respectful goes a long way. I try to learn as much as I can about my students' interests and learning styles so I can try to connect the learning content to what they know and care about in a way that is accessible to them. Keeping students engaged is challenging — especially when teachers must compete with cell phones. I am actually more hopeful than ever about our new cell phone policy this year. If a student is using their phone in class, they are reminded to put it away. If they take it out again, they are warned to put it away, or it will be taken. If they take it out that third time, the administration will really come and confiscate the phone until the end of the day. I know we're only two weeks in, but this is definitely the most effective solution I've seen yet. I must say, I really am proud of my students because I know how difficult it can be to ignore a notification. We also have a school-wide positive behavior plan in which students earn points for meeting expectations like keeping their phones away. They can use the points to buy rewards like snacks, phone chargers, T-shirts, raffle tickets for large prizes, and even entry to pep rallies and dances.

KN: The main goal is to build positive relationships with each student. To build these relationships, you must show respect and also show interest in each student's lives.

SW: Getting to know the students and being my authentic self really helps the students feel comfortable in my class. I also like making the classroom cozy and comfortable. Decorating the room with artwork and things that make me happy creates a fun and relaxing vibe that students enjoy.

JH: Can you describe a project or lesson that you have designed that you are particularly proud of, and how did it benefit student learning?

JC: One of my favorite lessons would have to be the graphic novel project I assigned to my creative writing class. Students learned graphic novel terminology, like panels and speech balloons, and then had to find examples of them in the graphic novel collection in the library. They compared the effects of the different techniques used by a variety of authors and illustrators. Next, they were paired into groups of two and planned their own graphic novels. They brainstormed both written descriptions and sketches. Students were given access to multiple planning sheets for their characters, settings, and plot, and were able to complete them in any order. After that, they made rough drafts, and their final products. This project took three weeks, but the results were worth it. Students usually spend a lot of time analyzing the characters and setting of stories written by others, so this was a good opportunity for them to be the creators.

KN: We held a trade show for the staff last spring. Each student had to pick an item from the school store to showcase. They had displays, samples, and interactive games. The students had to use math, English, art, public speaking skills as well as their marketing skills to promote their product. It allowed them to integrate their academic skills with their career and tech skills. The students were extremely proud of their projects.

SW: I recently had the opportunity to work with an artist-in-residence, Annie Schmitt, on a mural project for the school through Erie Arts and Culture. Myself and fellow art teacher Heather Riehl each had a class work with Schmitt on coming up with the concept and creating the artwork. We choose to showcase the beautiful diversity of our school population through plants that are significant to our students' cultures/countries. It was a great use of our students' talents and learning more about their cultures in the process. I loved collaborating with different members of the Erie community throughout the process. We were able to install the mural over the summer and the students absolutely love seeing their hard work on display for the whole school to enjoy.

Kimberlee Nikolai, Marketing Teacher, Erie High's Career and Technical Education Program

Photo: Jessica Hunter

JH: Can you give an example of a time when you had to adapt to a new teaching strategy or method, and how did you approach this change?

JC: Two instances immediately come to mind. The first is COVID, when we all had to learn how to teach remotely. I approached that change with the Serenity Prayer. The second is happening now. I am teaching reading using the Read 180 program. This curriculum has very specific procedures, routines, and even scripts I must read word for word. I am used to being able to use my own creativity and having a lot more control over how I teach and what I say. I have been able to adapt by realizing even though I am reading the same "lines" in every class, every class is still different. I still have to help every individual connect those ideas to their own individual knowledge and experiences in order for it to make sense. Besides, I realize the goal is student learning, not my creative expression. So, I am trying to see these limits as a way to force creativity much like the way the rules of specific types of poetry force the imagination of the poet.

KN: I taught math for my first 22 years so I naturally adapt math standards into my career and tech classroom. It provides connections for the students and helps them with their academics. It has also been a big change going from teaching math to teaching a career and tech lab. In a career and tech lab, most of the learning is project based with real world examples and math is more structured with independent learning.

Stephanie Welser, Art Teacher, Erie High

Photo: Jessica Hunter

SW: The biggest change that I had to adapt to was teaching remotely during lockdown. Seemingly overnight we had to learn a variety of different learning systems. And when teaching art it was especially difficult; I hadn't really taught digital art because of lack of technology. Now we were 1 to 1 with Chromebooks, and had this opportunity to learn a new type of art. I do have a background in media art, but adapting that to the free programs that were available to my students was just another new thing to learn.

JH: What is one thing that your students would be surprised to learn about you?

JC: I hope it's not a surprise to them that I have my dream job, and there isn't anything else I would rather be than their teacher.

KN: I grew up in the country and only graduated with 53 people.

SW: Even as an adult, I don't have all the answers. I'm constantly learning and evolving trying to make myself a better person. Education doesn't stop once you graduate, it continues throughout your life.

Jessica Hunter can be found at jessicahunterphotos.com