If you’re a student at Los Altos High School in social studies teacher Kelly Coble’s class, chances are you’ll be asked to write down your favorite candy on the first day of school.
Months later, on the last day of school, you’ll find the very same candy on your desk. For students who know Coble, this isn’t a surprising tradition. Since starting at Los Altos High eight years ago, she’s gained a reputation for being a passionate and caring teacher and fostering a positive learning environment, according to Los Altos High sophomore Sophia Chen.
“She’s very energetic when she teaches,” Chen said. “She tries to make it more interesting than just history. She seems to actually enjoy interacting with high schoolers.”
Coble aims to prioritize human connection in her classroom and make her students feel comfortable by talking with them about their interests. Along with this goal, she also tries to make school a genuinely fun experience for her students.
“You shouldn’t [have to] dread coming to class every day,” Coble said. “I’m never mad if someone misses a deadline. It’s high school, [you’re] trying to figure out how to do [everything]. [I try] to help students manage that, because you don’t have enough time to do all the things you have to do.”
Coble’s interest in teaching social studies stemmed from her own high school experience. She took double social studies every semester, her interest driven by stories about her grandfather, who was a World War II veteran. She formed especially strong connections with her school’s social studies teachers, who encouraged her interest in the subject.
“[My teachers] really pushed me to try to understand the world in a different way, and to try to humanize the world experience,” Coble said. “[It was] something that I realized was really important.”
But up until her senior year in college, Coble didn’t intend to pursue teaching and sought a more “prestigious” job. Coble initially hesitated because her mother works in the same field.
However, after witnessing her mother’s dedication to her students despite medical complications, Coble felt motivated to pursue a career in teaching as well.
“She was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, really severe, and she could have right then just stopped teaching, ” Coble said. “But she wanted to go back to the classroom. When I saw that … that’s when I finally admitted to myself, ‘Yeah, I do want to be a teacher.’”
Coble has also faced her fair share of personal health struggles, which made it difficult for her to always be available in the classroom. Last November, Coble faced a series of medical complications that started with hip surgery followed by a car accident, leading her to temporarily leave her teaching post.
Even while in recovery, Coble felt responsible for her students, providing directions by recording herself from the hospital bed and uploading it to Google Classroom for students to view.
“I owe it to them to support them, get them through the year, and help them learn and master skills,” Coble said.
Now, Coble is fully recovered and back on track with her teaching. After her experience with being unable to fully engage with her job while recovering, she is now trying to balance her work to do the important things, all with the knowledge that things don’t need to be perfect.
“Not every day is rainbows and unicorns by any means, but I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Coble said. “Every day is worth it.”
