Teacher Spotlight: Taryn Smith

Background information:
Taryn Smith came from a small town—she recalls only 50 people in her class—called Norway, Illinois. She went to college at Eastern Illinois University, and first began teaching at a school near Girard, Illinois. She taught at Ottawa Illinois Catholic School for a year and then spent two years teaching in Korea. In December 2016, she came to Urbana for graduate school and ended up taking a position at Urbana High School.

Favorite food:
Dolsot bibimbap (A Korean dish consisting of vegetables and rice served in a stone pot with sesame oil, so it’s crispy, with a runny egg on top.)

Favorite movie:
Shawshank Redemption or Hocus Pocus

Favorite book:
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Favorite movie quote or song lyric:
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and looking around once in a while, you might miss it,” –Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Why did you become a teacher:
“I think I had a really incredible teacher. My english teacher my junior and senior year made english class so much more than english class. I came from an all white school in the middle of nowhere and somehow she made it the most socially-minded class in a conservative town. We looked at bigger effects of the world, what people do and how they think. It wasn’t the same english class I’d had [before]. She’d commit to everything. During Macbeth, she brought a costume and cauldron. Twelve years later I [still] remember that. She helped me find an outlet in reading and writing. I didn’t like high school and I felt like if I could make high school better for anyone I’d do that.”

What’s your favorite memory of teaching:
“It’s hard to say there are specific moments, but I am super emotional every graduation. I’m always playing out moments with kids as they’re leaving. It’s a bittersweet day.”

Why did you choose Urbana:
“I like being at Urbana because there are the most open-minded kids I’ve ever experienced. I love everything here because the students are really unique. The staff is amazing. I love my coworkers, but the students are just really different.”