Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Broadhurst

Masterman prides itself on being a community that prioritizes not only excellence within education, but a supportive and welcoming environment for students and faculty alike. More often than not, a school’s values are reflected within the priorities and character of its staff, making deeply caring and thoughtful teachers such as Mrs. Broadhurst essential to the Masterman community. When asked about her experiences so far at Masterman, Mrs. Broadhurst stated, “I think that coming to a community of learners that is hungry for knowledge and hungry for success has made me a better teacher.” Mrs. Broadhurst, the newest addition to the Masterman English Department, currently teaches three sections of 10th grade English 2 Honors and one section of 7th grade English Language Arts. Before coming to Masterman, Mrs. Broadhurst taught at Roberto Clemente Middle School, before moving to Roosevelt Elementary School, a K-8 school in the Germantown area. After seeing an opening for a teaching position at Masterman, she applied and decided not to stress about the possibility of not getting the job, knowing it would be a competitive application pool. She stated, “I wanted to stay humble and I wanted to stay true to who I was, and I knew that coming here would not change me. I took the risk and it was extremely rewarding.”

During the application process, the values of the Masterman community were immediately evident to her. “Even in the interview process, I knew this place was special. Sitting in [on the interview] with people who both went to school here and then returned to teach here; what an incredible thing that is…[Masterman] values the voices of people who are part of it and that really stuck with me.” Following the interview, she was chosen to take part in a demonstration lesson to exhibit her skills in a classroom with Masterman students. She prepared tirelessly for the lesson with the help of her entire family, as it was an important opportunity to establish her experience and love for the job. Upon reflecting on whether or not Masterman felt like the right fit for her, Mrs. Broadhurst remarked, “I think that when the kids looked up at me and asked me if I was going to be their teacher next year, I knew this was what I wanted.” After the interview ended, Mrs. Broadhurst reached out to Principal Laurie via email to thank him for the opportunity to come in. Thirty minutes later, she was offered the job. She noted, “I genuinely meant every word in that email and was truly grateful for the opportunity.” 

Mrs. Broadhurst grew up in Big Bear Lake, California and found her passion for English, theater arts, and teaching alongside her best friend at the time who shared the same interests. However, her family was wary of the concept of her becoming a teacher, especially in the face of the nursing shortage that was occurring in California at the time that she was applying to college. Ultimately, Mrs. Broadhurst ended up attending community college since it couldn’t be agreed between her and her family what career path she should take. While in community college, she found herself drawn to the English department and eventually decided to pursue her dream of becoming an English educator. When asked about future career possibilities, she promptly responded, “Since coming here, I can’t really imagine leaving the classroom. I really enjoy the day-to-day interactions…I think that there’s a lot to be said about becoming the person I’ve wanted to be for a long time–finally becoming a woman that I’m truly happy to be”

Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Broadhurst loves “granny hobbies” where she can relax, zone out, and create something beautiful using her hands. She enjoys crocheting, coloring, cross-stitching and collecting music vinyls. She notes that her favorite music artists at the moment are Florence + The Machine, specifically her newest album titled Everybody Scream, and Miki Mastubara; her favorite genre is 80’s city-pop.