Diving into the chaos of new faces and new content halfway through the school year is not an easy task, but for new social studies teacher Madeline Campbell, her background in competitive volleyball has equipped her with the skills needed to succeed in the classroom. Campbell began teaching Government, Sociology and World History on the first day of the second semester, and her experience in competitive sports has given her the confidence to take on challenges and adjust quickly.
Growing up with volleyball as a constant in her life, Campbell is equipped with valuable skills that she believes she can now utilize in her everyday life. As a coach for Saint Paul volleyball, she uses her athletic background as a foundation in her classroom where she teaches students that learning is a lot like playing a game.
“I really like to think about how I can incorporate coaching into the classroom,” Campbell said. “What I like about coaching is that it’s constant improvement and constant authentic assessments of that improvement.”
Although she has played volleyball since she was in fourth grade, she has experienced a lot of change within the sport that has shaped her perspective on coaching.
“My junior year of high school, I didn’t make the team and I took that as an opportunity to kind of experience the sport in a different way,” Campbell said. “So I decided to coach volleyball, so I coached for two years at Saint Paul, fell in love with coaching. And then when I went to college, I started playing REC volleyball and now I’m back coaching again.”
As she settles into her classroom, Campbell notices similarities between a game and mastering teaching a lesson. She aims to help students realize their capabilities, even when they feel overwhelmed or unsure of their potential.
“My favorite thing about volleyball is when you have a player who thinks that they can’t serve over the net, and then they do, and they’re like ‘If I could do that, look what I can do now,’” Campbell said. “So I love that idea of having people realize their potential, that’s what I teach.”
Beyond helping students unlock their full capabilities, Campbell also wants them to feel passionate about their learning. Her passion for teaching is contagious which can motivate her students to take ownership of their own learning.
“I think it can be contagious when you have teachers who are really into what they’re talking about,” Campbell said. “I also think putting a lot of the learning in the student’s hands is like self-direction. At the end of the day, we don’t necessarily always just want to listen to somebody to drive on, we want to do the thing ourselves and get inspired that way.”
Knowing that she is leading the next generation keeps Campbell motivated and driven. Each day she teaches, she believes that she is able to make a significant impact and acknowledges that what she does matters.
“I wanted to be a teacher because all the teachers that I had in my middle school loved their jobs and seemed to take a lot of purpose from their jobs,” Campbell said. “I think if I was doing a job that I didn’t find very fulfilling in a purpose sense, then I would be very unhappy. So I think there’s that, but in high school too, I love the content that I teach.”
Looking to the future, Campbell hopes she can one day coach volleyball at North because of the connections and relationships that can be formed as a teacher and coach.
“I also think it’s fun when your teachers are your coaches and vice versa,” Campbell said. “You get to know your students more, you get to know your teachers more. I think it’s a lot of fun. But also I am a really animated coach.
Q & A:
Favorite color: Yellow
Favorite place to travel: Rome
Fun fact: I was born on Thanksgiving, and it is my favorite holiday
Favorite restaurant: Pho Lucky
Favorite time of the year: Fall
Hobbies: Make bread, read and volleyball
Favorite store: Trader Joe’s or Ikea
Dream vacation: Moscow, Russia
Favorite day of the week: Thursday
Favorite song: Birdhouse In Your Soul, by They Might Be Giants
