J. Elise Hannigan
- Island: Hawai‘i
- District: Hawai‘i
- Class: Freshman Academy Coordinator
- Years of Teaching: 14
- Field/Office: Keaau High School
- Complex Area: Kaʻū-Keaʻau-Pāhoa (KKP)
- Home Town: Poulsbo, WA
What do you love about teaching in Hawaiʻi?
I love the varied experiences and knowledge of people, places, and cultures that teaching in Hawaii has given me. I love that the things that I feel are less important in the classroom (such as teacher dress code) and the things that I feel are more important in the classroom (relationship building and sense of belonging) align with the vision of our administration. And, I love that the entire state has a vision for our students that I can stand behind and support.
What do you value as a strength of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education?
I value that all places in Hawaii are fed from the same bowl. We do not have to worry about districts taking teachers because the pay is more. Our state works to give all schools access to resources to serve our students.
What do you value as a strength of your particular school or office? What is your complex area known for?
Keaau High School is known for having students and teachers who are resilient. Our community has been through a lot and our school has come through it better than ever. The Keaau-Kau-Pahoa complex area is known for teaching from a sense of place. We value and respect the land that we live and teach on and strive to pass on that respect to our students.
What is unique/special about your school and/or community? What do you enjoy most about teaching there?
One thing that makes our school and community unique is that our students come from extremely diverse communities. We have students who live in million dollar homes on the beach as well as students who come from homes without electricity or running water. Despite that, we work to ensure that every student who walks onto our campus gets a quality education that will open doors for their futures.
What are 2 main challenges you face (or you feel teachers face) as an educator in Hawaiʻi?
One challenge that teachers face in Hawaii is housing. No matter what island you are on, housing is both expensive and scarce. Another challenge that many educators who are new to Hawaii face is learning and adjusting to the culture here, which is different than any other place I have experienced. That being said, most teachers can find success if they keep an open mindset and are willing to learn new things.
What are the qualities that make a Hawaiʻi Department of Education educator successful? Explain.
Educators in Hawaii are successful when they invest in their students, when they purposefully work to build relationships with their students and their school community, and when they find groups of other positive educators who they can be vulnerable with and get help from. So much of living and working in Hawaii is built upon working together, it is difficult if not impossible to live and work here in isolation.
What words would you use to describe your students? Explain.
My students are funny! They love to share stories and have fun. At the same time, my students are resilient. Sometimes I am shocked by the obstacles they overcome on a daily basis just to get to school.
Free time: What are some fun activities that people can enjoy doing outside school hours on the island that you work at?
Hawaii island has almost everything when it comes to outdoors: snorkeling, surfing, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hiking. I will be honest though, Hawaii island, especially the Hilo side, is not known for having a thriving night life or major concerts, sporting events, or things like that. For those things, we usually travel to Oahu.
Free time: What are some fun activities that you personally enjoy doing on the island or complex area/neighborhood you work in?
I love to run for exercise and we have a great community of runners here with many many events throughout the year. I also like to swim and snorkel which is abundant here. Mostly though, I am homebody who enjoys finding time to get together with my friends and play games or have a tennis match or smaller things like that.
What’s your favorite local food on your island? -OR- Where’s your favorite place to eat on the island? Describe the food!
Hawaii Island has AMAZING local food. We have almost everything! What is best about it is that many if not most of our restaurants are local only to here and are not chains, so we get to enjoy a plethora of options if we want to go out to eat.
What are some housing tips that you could recommend for teachers relocating to Hawaiʻi?
My housing tip would be to look outside of town at first and find a place that you can rent temporarily before you sign a lease commiting to something longterm. Once you are here is is way easier to know where you want to be and friends can usually give you good tips about places that are out there. Also, air conditioning on the Hilo side is probably not necessary, do not be surprised if your first rental does not have it!
What advice would you give to a new teacher who wants to work in your complex area or for the Hawaiʻi DOE in general?
My advice is to try it! In the big scheme of things, you are looking at a 10-month commitment that could turn into a lifelong dream. Definitely come with an open mind and a willingness to learn. But, you will never know if you don’t try!