“I absolutely love it that our department falls under the Career and Technical Education umbrella,” Brandabur said. “We work in professional kitchens and I can seek out opportunities for my students to experience real-life challenges and expose them to different careers.”
Q: What do you enjoy about working in Hopkins?
Everything we teach in Family and Consumer Sciences is a useful skill. As students learn to cook, balance a budget, or design an interior space, they are developing skills and becoming more competent at things that they will eventually need in their personal lives.
Q: Can you share a proud moment that made you feel good about doing your job?
When I was getting my master’s in education, one of my professors talked about the importance of collaborating across departments and getting out of our classrooms. Hopkins has provided a built-in opportunity for me to do this via Digital Learning Days*. With the extra time, I've been able to collaborate across departments to create extremely valuable experiences for students. This year, I am working on a project with geometry, wood shop, graphic arts, and culinary!
*Digital Learning Days at Hopkins High School give scholars independent learning time at home while staff engage in professional development and collaboration.