Emily Paxton Quickly Fitting In At Highland

Head feeling cold and light, Emily Paxton looked in the mirror to see her head free of the two-foot long hair that had just been chopped off. Standing next to her was her friend who was also bald, but for a very different reason.
After finding out her friend had been diagnosed with cancer for the third time, Paxton knew she would do anything to support her friend. So out came the scissors. This is one of many examples that shows how kind and compassionate Paxton is.
A new English teacher at Highland, Paxton has already begun to make a name for herself.
“She’s funny and she engages the classroom,” says sophomore student Elliot Hess.
Paxton originally got a bachelor’s degree in economics, but upon working, decided she wanted a job that could help people who didn’t have as much money.
“I felt that teaching was a good way to do that and the reason I chose English specifically is because the skills that we use in English are transferable to almost every other subject,” Paxton said. “So I thought that if I could be a good English teacher then my students would have more opportunities for success later.”
Paxton has now been teaching for four years. She worked at Orem Junior High, teaching 7th, 8th and 9th grade, and now teaches sophomore english at Highland.
A defining moment for Paxton was when she had completed her training to be a teacher. She walked into her classroom for the first time and thought, “Oh my gosh this is actually happening. I did it, I’m here, and in a few days kids are gonna be here.”
Her first day teaching was a nerve-wracking one, full of shaking hands and stomach butterflies. She was terrified. She tries to forget it.
But that first day led to wonderful moments in her career. One moment that made her proud to be a teacher was at a quinceañera she recently attended for a former student. Another of her former students was there, and they began talking about another English teacher they both knew. The student mentioned she was his third mom, and when Paxton asked what he meant he said he had his real mom, the other teacher, and Paxton as his moms.
“I like having positive relationships with my students because I feel like it makes teaching the content easier,” Paxton said.
Paxton has a slightly different teaching style than many other teachers at Highland. She takes the students outside often, and uses real world stories to relate the curriculum to the students.
Paxton has fun in the classroom, conducting social experiments and telling stories.
“I looked away for a minute and I looked back and she was standing on the table.” Says Hess. “[She] appears out of nowhere.”
She once was able to convince a class that Bill Paxton, a famous actor and director, was her uncle.
Coming up with outrageous and obvious lies has become a funny trait she is known for. Along with the Bill Paxton story, she once convinced a girl she went to school with that she was on crutches because of an unfortunate incident in which her brother fell into the Amazon River and she lost her foot to a piranha in a heroic attempt to save him.
Paxton grew up in Utah and attended Hillcrest and Murray for high school. At a summer camp she met her now husband, and they have one child together.
If she were to describe herself in three words they would be sarcastic, straight forward, and sensitive. Her friends would describe her as reliable, trustworthy, and loyal.
These words reflect who Paxton is. As teacher who has already made a name for herself, Paxton is starting this year at Highland well.
Paxton is a compassionate teacher. If a student ever needs anything, she’s a good person to go to.
When asked if she had a message for the students she said, “Go Rams!” 7th, 8th and 9th grade, and now teaches sophomore English at Highland.
A defining moment for Paxton was when she had completed her training to be a teacher. She walked into her classroom for the first time and thought,
“Oh my gosh this is actually happening. I did it, I’m here, and in a few days kids are gonna be here.”
Her first day teaching was a nerve-wracking one, full of shaking hands and stomach butterflies. She was terrified. She tries to forget it.
But that first day led to wonderful moments in her career. One moment that made her proud to be a teacher was at a quinceañera she recently attended for a former student. Another one of her former students was there, and they began talking about another English teacher they both knew. The student mentioned she was his third mom, and when Paxton asked what he meant, he said he had his real mom, the other teacher, and Paxton as his moms.
“I like having positive relationships with my students because I feel like it makes teaching the content easier,” Paxton said.
Paxton has a slightly different teaching style than many other teachers at Highland. She takes the students outside often, and uses real world stories to relate the curriculum to the students.
Paxton has fun in the classroom, conducting social experiments and telling stories.
“I looked away for a minute and I looked back and she was standing on the table.” Says Hess. “[She] appears out of nowhere.”
She once was able to convince a class that Bill Paxton, a famous actor and director, was her uncle.
Coming up with outrageous and obvious lies has become a funny trait she is known for. Along with the Bill Paxton story, she once convinced a girl she went to school with that she was on crutches. She said it was because of an unfortunate incident in which her brother fell into the Amazon River, causing her to lose her foot to a piranha in a heroic attempt to save him.
Paxton grew up in Utah and attended Hillcrest and Murray for high school. At a summer camp she met her now husband, and they have one child together.
If she were to describe herself in three words they would be sarcastic, straight forward, and sensitive. Her friends would describe her as reliable, trustworthy, and loyal.
These words reflect who Paxton is. As teacher who has already made a name for herself, Paxton is starting this year at Highland well.
Paxton is a compassionate teacher. If a student ever needs anything, she’s a good person to go to.
When asked if she had a message for the students she said, “Go Rams!”