If enthusiasm is catching, Erica French’s Iola High School’s freshmen and sophomore English students will be bursting at the seams to read what William Shakespeare had to say about life and love centuries ago.
French, 27, plans to whet her students’ intellectual appetite with introductions to the works of great authors, by giving them techniques to sharpen their writing skills and an opportunity to earn extra credit with visits to exhibits and productions at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center related to classroom studies.
French grew up in Topeka and graduated from Topeka West High School in 2002. An athlete, she participated in tennis and dance team.
Her first year of college was at Pittsburg State University, where she was a business major and member of the Crimson and Gold dance team. The following year she transferred to Washburn University in Topeka where she was a member of the school’s Dancing Blues.
“I began teaching dance classes to finance my college expenses. I always knew I liked to dance but it was a surprise to me when I realized I also liked to teach,” she said.
French changed her major to education and chose English because of her enjoyment of reading and writing.
In 2005, she married Jacob French. The couple moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he was stationed with the U.S. Navy.
“It was like having a three-year honeymoon living in Hawaii. Jacob decided not to re-enlist after the birth of our first son, Hunter, who is now 4,” she said. The couple have a second son, Ryker, 11 months.
After Jacob’s discharge from the Navy the couple moved back to Topeka in 2008. She returned to school to complete her degree and he began searching for a position as a firefighter.
Having lived in Iola as a small child, Jacob applied to the Iola Fire Department and was hired. He spent the ensuing two years commuting between Iola and Topeka until her graduation in December 2010.
“We moved to Iola in January, and I was thrilled when I was hired by the school district,” she said.
The staff and administration have been very welcoming, she said.
French hopes to become involved in athletic activities at the school, and said, “I would like to help choreograph dance routines for school and community productions.”
For relaxation, the couple likes to take their children camping.
“We like being outside playing games with the boys or just simply taking a walk,” she said.
Bringing the classics to IHS
