As you walk into Stacey Gibson‘s English class, the lights are dimmed and atmosphere is very mellow. Seats are not assigned and the bathroom pass is up for grabs at your own convince. When speaking to her students, she talks with the utmost respect, using only last names. She puts her students and herself on the same intellectual level.

Gibson is a loud courageous teacher who’s not afraid to tell it how it is. She’s given her students the power to see the world with a different point of view. Although she transferred here from Niles North just last year, she quickly became a part of our family of Wolves.

“I teach young people to be brave,” she says. “They’re nervous, and it’s funny because with teens you want them to be responsible, but most teens are like ‘what does that mean?’ Teaching provides content for life and context for living with your eyes wide open, for living with your mind open.”

Gibson has very unique teaching tactics, never talking at her students but to them. When asking questions, she shows great interest in all they have to say.

“My students taught me to be brave in pursuing knowing and not to be ashamed,” she explains as she leans back in her chair.

Gibson shows great care in the well-being of her students.

“She seems like a normal teacher when I first met her,” says her student, senior Adrian Carrera, “but as time passed I started to realize she’s more than just a teacher…she’s like a mother. She can be talked to about anything whether it be school or your social life.”

Although she is a tough grader, most students would agree that her class is very inspirational.

“I’ve never had my papers graded so strictly,” says senior Christine Isaac, “but in the long run she really is turning us into better writers.”

Gibson is always willing to stay after school and help students with their papers. Appointments are normally made a week or two in advance because she gets so busy.

“Most of the time she has to help four or five students at once,” Issac explains “but she does a good job of helping everyone at once.”

When asked where she was from Gibson responds, “Five million different universes.” She takes a moment to reconsider: “In my mind I’m from this long beautiful history, but most people just want to hear that I’m from Jamaica,” she laughs. “I guess that would be the easy answer.” Gibson makes it clear to her students that because she comes from a different cultural background she has a different view on the world.

Even her co-workers would agree that Gibson is an exceptional leader of the classroom.

“She makes the lessons meaningful,” says social studies teacher D.J. Kosiba, who co-teaches ALCUSH with Gibson, “but most important personal, which is vital in order for real learning to take place.”

Although Gibson hasn’t been here long, she’s already becoming well trusted by her fellow teachers. “She’s someone who keeps it real, no horseplay… and these are the people I’m drawn to because I can trust what they say is what they think,” said Kosiba.