What is an interesting fact about you?

I wanted to be a bird watcher. My mom thinks I’m weird for that, but I’m still planning on it.

What is the best part about teaching?

Meeting really talented kids is probably the best part of teaching. It’s weird. I know someone who could possibly be a future music star. One example of talented kids who came from Plano West since I’ve been teaching was this one girl, I didn’t teach her, but I taught her friend. She is now a successful actress in Hollywood and she came from this school. It’s weird.

What is your favorite part about teaching English?

I get to talk about great literature even if y’all don’t listen.

Do you have any interesting moments from last year or even the beginning of this year?

Last year, third period, Advanced Placement (AP) 4, I happened to have a stick broken off from a student’s art project and a roll of toilet paper. Somehow during class we got into the discussion of which way the toilet paper should be facing; either when the toilet paper is flipped over or rolled under. I say over. So I used the stick and the toilet paper to demonstrate how my way was better.

Do you have any advice for your students?

That if something negative happens, it will pass. Learn from failures and don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t be afraid to be embarrassed. I’m embarrassed all the time.

Which celebrity would you like to be best friends with and why?

I would love to be friends with Ernest Hemingway. I could have had fun with him and gone through the 20s with him. To have gone through that whole expatriate community in Paris, with Fitzgerald and Dalí, that would have been wonderful. Especially if it were before he started making poor life decisions.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

It’s cooking at my parent’s house. I don’t normally cook during the year, but we are all assigned a dish to cook for Thanksgiving. So cooking with my sisters is fun because we almost always make a mess and are told to be quiet by our dad. It’s exactly like when we were younger.

“Ms. Elliott is one of the more interesting teachers I know. Although she was never my own teacher, she cares about me and my school success.” -Keenan Robinson-Blair, senior.

“She’s intelligent and crazy at the same time which makes class exciting and interesting every day.” -Zac Young, senior.

“Ms. Elliott was always ready to help a student if they needed it. She might be a little wacky and get off topic, however when we learned something it stuck.” -Hannah Bradner, senior.