This is Laura’s fourth year teaching at Ensign Peak Academy. She has always wanted to be a teacher, so when she was done raising children, she got her degree and a teaching certificate.
Laura currently teaches British Literature and Writing Skills. She also does self-paced grading for American Literature and Writing Dynamics and manages the IXL accounts and Academic Coaching program.
So without further ado, here is my mentor interview with Laura Waite.
What do you love about your subject? Tell us about how you became interested in that subject.
I love language arts because if we can write well, we can communicate our thoughts to others. With that, if we can read well, we can learn to do anything we want in life.
I have always been fascinated with literature. I love the fact that people can create all kinds of thoughts using the same words.
In third grade, I was introduced to the writings of Shel Silverstein (“Where the Sidewalk Ends”, “Every Thing On It”and more) by one of my teachers.
That same year, my teacher had started reading The Secret Garden to our class but we didn’t have time to finish the book before the end of the school year. I was fascinated by the book but didn’t know what it was called. Years later, I figured it out and was able to finish it. I love that stories can captivate our hearts and minds.
I love books by Dr Seuss. I also enjoy plays by William Shakespeare.
How did you become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? What does that mean to you?
I was born into the church and my parents raised me in the church. When I went to college at BYU-Idaho (then known as Ricks College), I made a conscious decision to continue in the church and get married in the temple.
As for what the church means to me, it means everything. I don’t want to live my life without the gospel. It is worth any sacrifice I can make. The fact that I can make covenants (two-way promises with God) is phenomenal. Everything God has done to make life possible makes me speechless.
Tell us about yourself and your family.
I have six children. We have all boys, except for our one daughter. All my kids are grown up, with our baby being 21 years old. We currently have four grandchildren (two girls and two boys). Our daughter is at BYU-I and one of our sons is in North Carolina, but all of the rest of our children are located in Utah.
Where do you live?
We live in Richfield Utah. We love it here because the people in the area are amazing. Richfield has restaurants and stores very close by. And the Manti temple is only a 45-minute drive from us. My husband and I love being so close to our kids.
What do you like to do in your free time?
We love going to Lake Palisades and hiking in the beautiful mountains around us. Our family also loves working on our house, which we’ve just moved into. We had the pleasure of doing the plumbing and electrical work ourselves and are now working to finish the basement.
What is something unique about you?
I was born in the Netherlands. My father was stationed in Germany, but the closest hospital was across the border in the Netherlands. I was six weeks old when I came home to the United States.
What hopes do you have for your students?
I hope the students I teach develop a love of reading and writing. Also, that they will continue that love of reading outside of school.
I also hope that they will become lifelong learners.
All the classes Laura teaches are for the High School program. If you want to learn more about the High School program at Ensign Peak Academy, click the link below.