Photo Provided by Angela Ward

Mrs. Ward is one of Rosary’s most beloved social studies teachers, teaching both AP Gov and Psych!

Now that we’ve introduced all the new teachers, it’s time to spotlight some of the people who have been teaching at Rosary for a little longer and haven’t gotten a feature recently.

To start off, I asked Mrs. Ward, one of Rosary’s beloved social studies teachers, various questions ranging from her journey in education to her favorite founding father. Let’s get to it!

Q: When did you commit to your major; was it a simple or complicated process?

A: I committed to my major when my advisor called me into his office at the beginning of my sophomore year and told me I needed to declare. I asked which major I have the most contributing credits for, and he said history, so here we are; I have a BA in History from Whittier College.

Q: If you had to choose between only teaching AP Psych or AP Gov, which one would you choose and why?

A: I would like to not choose, but if I must it would be AP Government. I really love teaching students how to become civic-minded adults with an understanding of how government really works and how we got to where we are politically throughout the United States and the world today.

Q: What are the best ways we, as teenagers, can remain politically informed in this increasingly chaotic world?

A: Follow the rules of a good historian: source all materials, where did it come from, who are they, what is their message, are they legitimate, and what is the bias. What is the context? Look for cause and effect and do not be afraid to practice a little historiography. Read about the same topic from multiple sources with different points of view and perspectives.

Q: Can you describe Rosary students in three words?

A: Focused, compassionate and determined.

Q: Who’s your favorite founding father and why?

A: It would probably be Madison, he was really committed to the idea of a new government and was not afraid to change his mind or to compromise.

Q: What does education mean to you? Moreover, has it come to mean different things as you went from a student to a teacher?

A: Education is about helping others to facilitate their own learning and always be curious. There is no such thing as an unimportant question. Learning how to think, discern how things work, how to do things or the difference between right from wrong should always be a key part of education. As a teacher, I value people’s time more when they are trying to convey a message or even just have a conversation. As a younger student, I just couldn’t wait to be done; as an adult student and teacher, I cannot wait to learn something new.

All in all, I hope you consider taking one of Mrs. Ward’s classes during your time at Rosary: as someone who has taken AP Psychology and AP U.S. Government and Politics, both have proven extremely practical for life beyond Rosary.