Sharon Ellsworth-Nielson is teaching Sophomore Honors English and American Literature to Juniors at the Park City High School this year. Ellsworth-Nielson graduated from the University of Utah in 1984. She taught in Grantsville for most of her career before moving to Salt Lake City three years ago. She applied for the teaching position in Park City and said this was her first choice.
“I never considered looking Park City as an option, but I’ve admired it for years,” she said. “The way things are done up here and the involvement of students and parents is great. I feel like I’ve won the lottery.”
The small-town atmosphere of Park City reminds Ellsworth-Nielson of Grantsville, but she said she’s raised her teaching standards to fit the high school.
“I’m willing to put the time in,” she said. “I knew this was a good place for me because of the professional growth it would give me and I’ve kicked it into gear.”
Ellsworth-Nielson said appreciates the faculty support and there are several teachers who offer concrete ways to help if she’s stumped by a challenge.
“A lot is expected here, but there is a lot of support,” she said. “Things are going really well. I like my students and I’m learning a lot.”
Sophomores in Honors English are learning about genocide and discussing the movie Hotel Rwanda, about Uganda in the 1990s, as an example. Students in American Literature are reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Ellsworth-Nielson said each class consists of journaling and discussions, during which students are encouraged to talk about their thinking process.
“What you think is not as important as how you came to that conclusion. This encourages students to have support for their opinion and defend their opinion. These are skills that students will use later,” she said. “In both classes we’re looking at tough questions and how they apply to us here and what are the connections between those characters and with our own lives.”