Skip to main content

Hockett teaches, entertains students

Hockett teaches, entertains students

Article by Claire Austin and Macey Koelliker

Joy Hockett is the seventh-grade English teacher and eighth-grade literature teacher at Silver Lake Junior High. She has been working at Silver Lake for 23 years. Silver Lake is the only place she has ever taught.

Hockett said she did not always think she was going to be a teacher. When she was young, she did not think she would pursue this career.

“I never thought I would teach, ” she said.

Deciding to be an English and literature teacher was a decision Hockett had to make.

“I love literature. I love reading,” Hockett said.

Students from seventh-grade and eighth-grade have many different opinions about Hockett and the way she teaches. Peyton Fergola, eighth-grader, shared her thoughts about the teacher.

“I like the way she teaches. I think she’s really funny and her humor brings a lot of interest to the classroom,” Fergola said.

Seventh-grade student Molly Hubbard also shared her opinion.

“I do like the way she teaches because she goes at a good steady pace. If we slow down, she slows down. If we speed up, she’ll speed up,” Hubbard said.

Many students will say Hockett is quite the interesting character and are surprised when they first walk into her classroom. Hubbard shared her first impression of her class.

“She kind of looked crazy to me. I thought she was going to be scary, but she’s not,” Hubbard said.

As a teacher, she has made the years memorable for the students. Fergola shared how she will remember Hockett.

“She told a lot of stories. The class was always laughing,” Fergola said.

Being a teacher has taught Hockett many lessons about life.

“Everyone has something of value to contribute,” she said.