For Former Computer Programmer, New Life At Prince Tech [The Hartford Courant]
By Vanessa De La Torre, The Hartford Courant | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The insurer offered her the job right out of
"I was comfortable with what I did," Mann said Wednesday.
But Mann, 48, also is a people person -- a nurturing woman with a bright smile and the organizational skills of an event planner. For years, she was curious about the teaching profession, although "when you're in your own career, you don't have much time to explore," she said.
Mann found the time. After becoming a teacher in 2000, Mann is now the
A central office committee chose Mann, an instructor at
Mann is head of Prince Tech's Information Systems Technology department, where students learn trades such as computer programming, networking, hardware, web design, graphics and desktop publishing. Aside from being a classroom teacher, Principal
For five years, Mann was even the school's cheerleading coach.
"The bottom line, the most important thing is the students love her," Chaffin said. "They know she has high expectations for them ... But at the same time, she's supportive and scaffolds things so they can reach those standards."
Mann manages her classroom like a professional office. There are casual Fridays and independent projects for seniors, who must meet their deadlines and schedule an appointment to meet with Mann if problems arise. Mann also teaches Adobe software, such as Photoshop, to a group of juniors who are now on summer break.
When students have personal issues, Mann hears them out.
"The kids are great," Mann said. "They just need boundaries and structure ... I try to help them navigate their lives and make better choices."
A few students have slipped up and called her "Mom."
At home in
Mann also loves home improvement, motorcycles and "fast cars."
"If I'm in a swimming pool, I don't dip my toes in," she said. "I jump in."
Mann believes that sense of aggressiveness has helped her career. The
"Something deep inside of me kept saying, 'Go and get your master's in education,'" Mann recalled. She enrolled in
After the master's program, Mann continued to work at The
The following year, in
The first time she walked into a classroom, Mann said, "I knew this was it ... This is who I am. This is my purpose ... It was like everything was lined up and it was meant to be."
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