Hawk Talk: Mrs. Guseman

Mrs. Guseman, Wredling’s 7th and 8th-grade Social Studies teacher, has graciously shared some fascinating facts about her job and her life outside of school. Before we learn how this amazing teacher became so exceptional, let’s first dive into what her students and colleagues have to say about her!

Sofia M. from Team 7-3 shares that she likes how easygoing, calm, and nice Mrs. Guseman is in class. Cam Walker, also from Team 7-3, thinks Mrs. Guseman often does fun activities with her classes and says she is always “engaged in the class and really wants to teach us.”

Wredling ELA teacher Mrs. Rath, who is also a team teacher with Mrs. Guseman, says she enjoys working with her because “she is very student-focused and will do anything to make sure her students are okay.” Another 7th-grade teacher, Dr. McGuire, adds, “Mrs. Guseman is resourceful, has great ideas, and is knowledgeable. She cares about the work she does and is always kind and approachable.”

Now that we’ve seen what her students and colleagues have to say, let’s hear from Mrs. Guseman herself!

Do you have any pets?

I do. I have two cats.

When you were a kid, what was your dream job?

It changed all the time, but I think maybe my dream job was to be a llama farmer, or to have a farm with llamas on it.

Have you ever taught any subjects other than Social Studies or at any other schools?

Yes, I have taught Language Arts. I have worked in our ML program, which is a program that helps our students who are new to the United States learn English. And when I wasn’t here at Wredling, I worked at Thompson.

What are some of your hobbies outside of school?

I enjoy hands-on hobbies. I like to have a veggie garden, so I grow vegetables. I like to sew things, and I like to weave and make fabrics.

What was your favorite subject when you were in middle school?

I liked a lot of subjects! I really enjoyed reading a lot as a kid, so naturally, I enjoyed Language Arts, but I found Science really interesting too, and I thought History or Social Studies classes were really interesting. 

 Do you know which class you got the best grades in?

 Probably Language Arts or Social Studies.

Are there any places that you really want to travel to?

So a very close friend of mine is in Japan. We went to school together, and we’ve been friends for a really long time. Sometimes she travels here to visit me, and I haven’t visited her in a long time. So I would really like to get back to Japan. I’ve been once, but I’d like to get back to see her again. I haven’t really been to Europe, so I’d like to go there, as well. 

What is your favorite color?

Anything blue, even if it’s bluish-green or bluish-purple, I really like those colors.

What is your favorite food or your favorite restaurant?

My favorite food is Japanese food. My favorite restaurant? I think it depends on why we’re going to the restaurant. If it’s fast food, Portillo’s is always good. If we are celebrating something, maybe we’ll go somewhere in downtown Geneva.

What is your favorite animal?

Probably cats.

What would be the first thing you’d buy with 100 million dollars?

That’s a lot of money! If it were something, like splurging for myself, maybe I might get some new craft supplies or that sort of thing. But I kind of feel pretty satisfied with everything I have. So I might just prefer to see who would need the money more and maybe help them out.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I think flying. I’ve traveled a lot throughout the United States, and we’ve done a lot of road trips. It’s always the geography that is always really interesting to see. It might be kind of cool to go over something natural. Maybe fly over some of the national parks and look at all the natural beauty!

If you could learn one other language, what would it be?

I speak a little bit of Spanish, so I think I would want to be better at that. 

Who is your teacher best friend?

I’m lucky because I really like my team and the people I work with. They are kind of like my team besties, like Mrs. Ryan and Mrs. Rath, and Mrs. Franklin. It’s hard to pick because I think we work together really well, and I enjoy their company. I find them fun. When one of us is having a bad day or a tough day, we’re really good at taking care of each other.

Do you talk and hang out at school or outside of school?

Sometimes after school or outside of school. There are some teachers I’ll hang out with outside of school sometimes as friends. I used to hang out with Ms. Alcala, Mr. Ashline, and Mr. Gabel. Maybe I’ll see them outside or that sort of thing. But it’s kind of a combination of both.

What is your favorite sport?

I played volleyball and softball when I was in school. I really enjoyed volleyball, and that’s still a sport that I like to watch. If something’s supposed to be a good game or a good match, it doesn’t depend on the sport; I’ll just watch whatever it is. 

Do you like summer or winter better, or a different season?

Winter, definitely winter. I prefer the cooler weather. I know it can be a little dreary, but I like the coziness of it.

After having insight of both her school and personal lives, Mrs. Guseman has launched herself even farther into the ranking of amazing teachers. She has proven herself to be a good friend, a caring teacher, and quite interesting! Make sure you tell her how much you appreciate her as a teacher next time you see her in the halls.