Although not new to our district, Caitlin Brady is new to our high school campus and brings excitement to her AP US History students! She has a deep passion for teaching, which is reflected every day in her vivacious spirit.

“APUSH students are brave. It’s a tough class, and I love working with motivated students. I look forward to talking to students about how certain events lead to other events,” said Brady. “Having the ability to study history and understanding some context of why events happen, for me, brings me some sense of peace. I hope I can share that with my students.” 

Before teaching APUSH here at the high school, she used to teach Social Studies and Ancient Civilizations to sixth graders at Thurston Middle School. Prior to that, Mrs. Brady taught eleventh graders in Morro Bay, CA. She found many differences between teaching sixth and eleventh graders, which forced her to adapt to a new environment.

“It’s kind of funny how fast you get used to things. I realize my 11th graders can handle a whole lot more than my sixth graders could. These are my super high achieving eleventh grade students who really want to get the full experience, so my adjustment right now is timing with a lot of things,” said Brady.

It was extremely difficult for all teachers to provide a comprehensive education to students during the COVID-19 pandemic last school year. The LBUSD staff were very supportive of Brady, even through the pandemic. With their support and her positivity, Brady was able to focus on the silver linings that made Zoom classes a lot more entertaining for her and her students. 

“Teaching on zoom is really hard, sixth graders on Zoom is really hard—those poor kids! I did a lot of ‘show me your pet’ days. That was also my secret for when things weren’t working, and I didn’t have another plan,” said Brady. “It was a way for us to connect over something that was not academic because you’re missing that connection piece when you’re not in person.”

Coming back to in-person teaching, Mrs. Brady has already made her class exciting for her students. She incorporates interactive assignments into almost every lesson to make sure that students are not just taking notes all period. 

“I like Mrs. Brady because she is very fun, considerate, understanding, and relatable. I am never bored in her class,” said APUSH student Sabrina Yang.

Brady has been able to establish great relationships with her students online and in-person. Shortly after the beginning of the school year, Brady has already had a positive impact on many of her students. 

“There’s never a time where I don’t look forward to being in Mrs. Brady’s class. Her way of teaching and her personality always make class so enjoyable,” said LBHS junior Micah Chavez.

Brady loves teaching for a multitude of reasons, but she is dedicated to helping her students thrive. Great teachers can change one’s life, and many students will surely walk out of Brady’s class with a new passion for history and many remarkable experiences in her classroom. 

“I just like hanging out with the kids. That’s my favorite part,” said Brady. “I had a super positive high school experience, and I attribute that completely to my teachers. I just want to be that positive adult role model for kids, help them navigate this tumultuous time in life, and also experience those really fun things that only happen in high school.”