Ironically, “little” Polmann, one of three Polmanns to attend Becton Regional Highschool, just stepped into big shoes as the newest English teacher at Becton. When asked how it feels to be back, Polmann stated “It feels surreal! But at the same time, I feel exactly where I am supposed to be. It feels good to be home.” Besides being an English teacher at Becton, Ms. Polmann is the journalism teacher, advisor of the Cat’s Eye View, the new cheerleading coach, the junior class advisor, and advisor of the prom committee! Clearly, Ms. Polmann came back to redefine that “little” packs a strong punch!

Polmann stated that her inspiration to become a teacher began in middle school when her own English teacher was requesting extra work from her while other students had normal amounts. Back then, Polmann could not quite understand the teacher’s intention with all of this. Soon, she would discover that this was all to advance her into the English Honors course at the time, which would be the track she would follow for the rest of her middle and high school career, and now, pursue as a profession. Polmann shared, “My middle school teacher does not realize it, but she influenced the trajectory of my life. I can only aspire to have that kind of impact on my own students.” Many of her current students would agree, that Polmann has already gone above and beyond to encourage and support them.

Furthermore, Polmann also credits Mrs. Scalera, another English teacher at Becton, who oddly enough was Polmann’s teacher at Becton during her time here as a student. Now, Scalera helps her navigate coaching and teaching at Becton as her mentor. Scalera had Polmann as a student for both English 10 Honors and English 12 AP. Scalera gave a blast into the past of what Polmann was like as a student, she stated, “She was an excellent student! She was always prepared, diligent, and  loved being creative with her assignments. In fact, I still showcase her English scrapbook!” Besides their bond as student and teacher, they now grow their relationship as colleagues– as Polmann has with many of her other prior teachers. Polmann raved, “I am excited to continue learning from teachers that have already had tremendous effect on my teaching style and development as a person; but also, I am honored to share with them any new knowledge I can offer as well in order to make them proud!” Thus, Polmann was a remarkable student and will definitely be the same as a teacher!

As for her time outside of Becton, Polmann does have previous experience as a teacher in Elizabeth NJ, where she taught at an all Honors/AP high school. She also has background in student-teaching in East Orange where she was guided by an outrageously skillful and  helpful mentor, Mirvetk Tonuzi, who Polmann credits to molding her teaching style. Polmann teaches in an “I Do, We Do, You Do” style where she teaches a skill, they practice it as a class, and then students preform individually. Thus far, it has proven rewarding for her as a teacher and for students. Furthermore, Polmann is all about creativity, as she graduated from Montclair State University with a major in English and also a minor in Creative Writing. In the classroom, Polmann enables students to supply her with the daily Do Now’s which are catered to their interests. Every day is different. Some days the class meditates or discuss their goals, other days they listen to a song, dance, or analyze a quote. However, because this is English class, students always have a writing portion attached to their Do Now’s. It’s a win, win! In addition, Polmann showcases her creativity outside of the classroom as well. Jumping into the new cheerleading coach position, Polmann worked quickly to help organize, under Sideline Club Advisor Melissa Dunn, the First Annual Becton Alumni Football and Cheerleading game. The turnout of the game was truly heart-warming and will be a tradition many have already asked Polmann to carry out in the future years to come. Overall, Polmann assures us, “I am eager to bring back all the things I loved about Becton as a student, and introduce ideas of my own to transcend Becton to a whole new level. Despite wanting to ignite sparks in other districts I have been a part of in the past, it is definitely true that your fire burns stronger and brighter when it comes to working for a community you have grown to love.” Overall, staff and students of Becton are thrilled for years to come with Polmann, as she is a teacher whose light will never dwindle when it comes to representing her alma mater, Henry P. Becton regional High School.