Even on the gloomiest of days, the brightest rays of sunshine burst through the door of room 207 at Clarence High School. Whether you are sitting in English 10 reading Fahrenheit 451, learning about how to write poetry in Creative Writing, or learning about college, careers and business, Mrs Boyle is always able to bring a smile to your face no matter what you are doing in class. 

Before starting her career at Clarence High School in 1999, Mrs. Boyle attended University at Buffalo for her graduate classes and degree with another teacher from Clarence. Mr Runfola, who quickly became someone she could look up to, and who told her about open positions at Clarence. At this time, Mrs. Boyle was teaching full time at a school in Holland, but wondered if being at Clarence would be a better fit for her. 

Being a newer member of the English Department here at CHS, Mrs. Boyle really looked up to Mr. Runfola and Mr. Andriaccio. These were two teachers who inspired her because of their passion for teaching and  genuine care and concern about their students. But what she really loved about being part of the English Department was the very open and professional collaboration that she had not experienced up until that point. 

Although Clarence has been a very positive part of her life, there are some challenges that come with the career. Throughout her career here, Mrs Boyle has struggled with balancing her time between grading and planning. She claims that, “For my whole career, I’ve had homework.” Something that has helped her with this challenge was the fact that she was able to plan with her colleagues and other people in her department and hear all of their great ideas, which she said was “energizing and encouraging” and helps to keep her going. 

When asked about what she likes best about teaching, she talked about her love and appreciation for making connections with students, colleagues, staff members, parents, and “the whole Clarence community.” She excitedly stated, “I laugh every day, I find joy every day, and there is never a dull moment.”

Outside of school and other than grading and planning, Mrs. Boyle loves to hike. She loves the peaceful feeling of being in the forest and letting the beauty of nature consume her.  One of her favorite places to go hiking and enjoy the beauty of nature is Genesee County Park and Forest, a beautiful spot to relax and enjoy the great outdoors in the midst of all the grading and planning. 

If she was not a teacher, she would love to be a park ranger, so that this way she could be surrounded by nature a lot more than she is now. She would also consider being an advocate for women and children. 

When Mrs. Boyle was a part of the Honors English Program at Canisius, she really realized she wanted to be a teacher. She had the realization of: “Wow, I want to be able to talk about great books every day.” And now that she is an English teacher, she can, or at least sometimes. She claims, “I should have known way back in elementary school when my friends and I would go to each other's houses and play school.”

After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she did not find a teaching job right away, and instead worked for a medical equipment place for a year. At this point, she considered possibly switching majors, but then was accepted a job at St. Mark’s in Buffalo, and said, “I knew I was on my way.”

As her students walk into her class, whether it is for the first day, the last, or any day in between, she hopes that her students feel welcomed and safe, and excited to learn and be there. 

One of her top priorities is having a good relationship with her students. She feels that if the students know that their teachers are invested in them and their success, then their students are going to be invested in the class. “If you’re rooting for them, they are going to rise to the occasion.”

I was fortunate enough to have Mrs Boyle for two classes my sophomore year. Creative writing, and English 10. Both classes made me feel so seen and comfortable, I didn’t mind sharing my opinions or what work I had written. Mrs Boyle very quickly became someone who I could trust and talk to about anything whenever I needed to. She was always there to listen and give advice. One thing I like that she always tells me is “All will be well.”

In our class last year, on the last day of school, we made a candy salad. There were a few other kids in the class that developed close connections with her along with me.  

As a conclusion of the interview, when asked if there was anything else she wanted included in the feature, she talked about how she loves the environment and a lot that comes with the job. “There are lots of other places where you wouldn’t have what we have at Clarence.” She loves that a lot of her students are excited to be there and ready to learn and listen to what she has to teach. She loves getting to know all of her students and having them come visit after the school year is done. A lot of the teachers and administrators she has worked with have helped her to be the teacher she is today. Even the kids teach her different lessons. “Every day I feel so very lucky to be in a job that I love with people that I admire and respect and with students who are ready and happy to learn.”