Dedicated teacher and Harry Potter fan makes a big career change and now can’t imagine doing anything else.
Susan McGinnis gave up a long career in the automotive industry to become a teacher. In the photo above taken this summer, McGinnis is at Lavender Hill Farm in Horton Bay, Michigan.
Years before, while in grad school, this Wayne State University grad thought she might end up teaching somewhere. So with her auto job at a crossroad, she figured it was well-nigh time to head down that teaching road once again. So McGinnis went back to school, earned a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in secondary education from Oakland University, and began a new life in the classroom.
McGinnis said she’s a huge fan of the Harry Potter series.
And where McGinnis fell was into Notre Dame Preparatory School — and she is very glad she did. “This is my first teaching job and I cannot see myself teaching anywhere else.”
A science, social studies and computer faculty member at Notre Dame, McGinnis also moderates the school’s robotics team, “The Killer Bees.” Doing that job also seemed to be a good fit for her as well.
“When I interviewed for a job here, Fr. Joe indicated that there was an opening for a robotics mentor,” she recalled. “Since I came from the automotive industry, it seemed like a great idea even though I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But I love every minute of it!”
Sharon Derico, Notre Dame’s vice principal for academics, said it was obvious from the very beginning that McGinnis was made for Notre Dame and that the school seemed tailor-made for her.
“It is clear that students really appreciate her dedication to them both in the classroom and as the NDP robotics moderator,” Derico said. “Susan dedicates countless hours to this school and to her students. She frequently meets individually with students outside of class time to give additional assistance and her vibrant personality is recognized by the entire school community.”
For McGinnis, she said she also appreciates the sense of family that seems to permeate every nook and cranny of the school.
“Everyone is super friendly and helpful, and the teachers all seem committed to helping the students, not just in their content area, but to be the best person they can be and, of course, to live the mission,” McGinnis said. “Plus, it seems there are always kids in the building – I just love that.”
During those rare times when she herself is not in the building, McGinnis bides her time at home in Oxford with her “very bad dog, Diesel,” and a cat named Castor. In addition, she’s an avid gardener, knitter, cook/baker, and is currently in the middle of restoring her house, which was built in 1871.
“I do carpentry, finish work, plaster work, plumbing and electrical – you name it,” she said. “When I’m not working on the house, I spoil my niece and nephews horribly, and talk about them incessantly. I have a great family — two brothers and a sister, one niece and eight nephews — who love me unconditionally. And I’m a Pinterest addict, I love music and I’m a huge fan of Harry Potter and British mysteries.”
Meanwhile, back at school, McGinnis said she cannot imagine anything more fulfilling for a career.
“I think helping students learn to become young adults, to take responsibility for their actions, learn how to communicate properly, and to be honest are all just as important as teaching class,” she said. “I tell my students that regardless of what it is, be honest, own up to it and things will work out. I make mistakes all the time, we all make mistakes. It’s what makes us all human. The tragedy, though, is not learning from those mistakes.”
Derico noted that since McGinnis is so humble and such a tenacious learner herself, she’s “a great example of a faculty member committed not only to each and every one of her students, but to our entire school community. We are blessed to have her on staff.”
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.