By April Clark Honaker
Kenedy Pierce teaches human geography at Ruston High School. She describes her subject as a combination of sociology and cultural geography. “We learn about the why of where,” she said, “and it’s so relevant.”
According to Pierce, the students learn about the systems and processes that have created the spaces we live in. They also learn about different cultures and how cultural traits originate, spread and alter the landscape we live in.
Other topics include population and migration, political geography, and agriculture. “It’s a very broad class,” said Pierce, “and it’s a lot, but I love it.”
Pierce earned her Bachelor of Science in secondary education with a concentration in social studies, followed by a master’s in educational leadership, both from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La.
Pierce started her teaching career in 2019 at her alma mater Buckeye High School and was there for a year and a half before moving to Ruston and continuing her career in teaching at Ruston High School in August 2020.
Pierce said her favorite thing about teaching is seeing how much growth students are capable of in just a year. Pierce teaches sophomores, so her students essentially come in as freshmen and leave as upperclassmen. “It makes me proud that I could be a part of their lives for that short span,” she said.
Pierce is still a fairly new teacher, and she’s still learning and growing alongside her students. “My biggest challenge is that I’m a huge introvert,” she said. According to Pierce, science says introverts shouldn’t be teachers, but Pierce loves teaching. At the same time, she’s had to adjust and learn to navigate how to be a successful teacher and also give herself what she needs as an introvert.
One of the biggest things that helps her is getting to work about an hour early. Pierce said she typically arrives earlier than her peers in the morning because she’s fresh and most productive then, as opposed to after school. Plus, she’s able to enjoy the solitude and quiet time before her students arrive and classes begin.
Because Pierce started teaching in Ruston in 2020, she didn’t really have the opportunity to experience a full year without COVID restrictions. In fact, this is her first year without those restrictions. “This year, everything is back to what we’re calling ‘normal,’” she said. There are no masks and they’re having pep rallies inside again. “It feels like what a fun, spirited, productive year should feel like,” she said, “and we’re happy the students are able to experience it.”
Pierce said she has especially enjoyed being able to watch this year’s seniors experience the new normal because they were her first RHS students, and there were so many challenges that first year due to COVID, as well as the fact she was a new teacher learning the ropes. “Those students really taught me how to love Ruston High,” Pierce said, “and they really encouraged me. They don’t even realize the impact they’ve had on me, but seeing them become leaders of what we’re calling ‘the great reset’ makes me proud.”
