After teaching part-time in the Wauwatosa School District for the 2017-18 school year current chemistry teacher Kelly Haskell is now a full time teacher at West.

Haskell is entering her fifteenth year of teaching after attending UW- Milwaukee and teaching her first years at Milwaukee Madison. She then taught at Milwaukee Hamilton for 12 years followed by teaching in the Wauwatosa district last year. She currently teaches regular and advanced chemistry. Previously she has taught biology and Project Lead the Way-Biomedical science courses.

“I like all sciences. I can teach biology but I would say I prefer chemistry,” Haskell said.

Teaching part time last year she would teach first and second hour at West and travel during third hour to teach one class at East. For the remainder of the day she spent most of her time with her baby.

“At this time of year we would most likely be going to a pumpkin farm and doing fun activities like that,” Haskell said.

Haskell didn’t think the transition from part time to full time teaching was challenging.

“It was easy to go from part-time to full time because I put a lot of time and work into that part-time position and I felt it took up a lot of my day,” Haskell said. “But now that I’m here full-time, I feel like the day goes by so fast.”

Haskell first became a teacher because she enjoyed science so much.

“I want more kids to enjoy science and then go into the field of science when they leave high school because I think it’s really important,” said Haskell.  

Additionally she said she became a teacher because her grandfather was a chemistry teacher and her mother was a teacher as well.

“I think teaching just sort of runs in the family,” Haskell said. “My grandfather and I had a very similar brain and I think that affected my choice to become a chemistry teacher like him.”

One of her favorite things about teaching is following up with old students. She believes it’s amazing to reconnect with them and see what they’ve done with their lives during college and after college. Specifically, one of her students was being recognized at the White House representing the Medical College and Hispanic students.

Haskell said, “To follow her and see that she’s doing so well I think is the coolest part of teaching.”