For Hill, problem-solving essential in both science and life

“I will respect you and I ask that you respect me.”

This is the first thing new WF Biology teacher Whitney Hill tells her students at the beginning of the year and it sets the tone for her class, in which she strives to teach inquiry-based lessons that get her students thinking.

“I think students have more fun when the focus is on students solving problems and creating solutions while being provided the foundation of information,” she said.

She hopes to convert some of her current activities to be more digital-based and creative new projects and activities that let her students delve into biology, while still maintaining Covid safety protocols.

“For me, collaborating with others that have different skill sets, ideas, and opinions is crucial to growing and finding new ways to accomplish goals,” she said.

Hill works hard to accommodate all types of learners in her classroom and is always looking for ways to appeal to different learning styles.

“This year hasn’t made learning easy for kinesthetic learners as our activities have been limited, but I am working towards finding solutions and workarounds to provide this for students while still adhering to our guidelines and regulations,” she said.

Originally from Sumter, Hill is a Clemson University graduate where she obtained both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her inspiration for becoming a Biology teacher was her own high school Biology teacher, Mr. Hill (who, coincidentally, is no relation!).

“He had such a fantastic way of inspiring me to solve problems on my own,” she said. “He always knew how to ask the right questions or give the vaguest hint that provided the breadcrumb I needed to think and find an answer on my own.”

Hill recognizes that instinctively students want answers, but a teacher’s job is to develop skills in students that lead them to finding the answers on their own, rather than someone telling them. In her mentor’s class, she said she learned the most about life skills and critical thinking.

“I learned the value of having a teacher see your potential even when you’re not at the top of the class and you can’t see it for yourself,” she said. “I learned that sometimes the experience is more valuable than the grade, and I learned that it always pays to be a problem solver.”

In her free time, Hill loves to spend time with her family (husband and her three siblings) and friends, traveling, and hunting down her latest treasure at thrift stores. She said she is “obsessed” with her cat, Phoebe, and she is always on the lookout for houseplants she can’t kill.

Hill is very happy to be at West and said that all of the staff have been very welcoming and positive.

“Everyone is so genuinely happy to come to work, despite all the craziness this year. I especially love the comradery in the science department,” she said.

As for how she sees herself as a teacher, Hill strives to be genuine in the classroom.

“I’m really corny, but I hope my students find me real and relatable.”