Grace Steele

Literature & Poetry Teacher
VDA Teacher Since 2015

Personal and Educational background:
I am a Southern Californian, born and raised. I graduated from nearby Aliso Niguel High School. Throughout high school and a bit of college, I spent a lot of time participating in school plays and musicals, and also received private lessons in acting while taking classes at a local theater. I got my degree in history from Arizona State University.

When and why did you decide to become a teacher?
At first, like many young girls, I wanted to be a teacher because I admired my own teacher in elementary school. Some years later, after exploring many different options in college, I came back to teaching when I finally decided on my major. As I journeyed through my required history and English courses, I became frustrated with the way I was being taught. It seemed as though I was expected to draw conclusions that didn’t make sense, and as though the grade I received in the class was not a result of how well I understood the material, but of how many hours I spent memorizing words from a textbook. I felt that the subjects I was studying were deeply important, and that they could increase my enjoyment of life so much more if I had a better understanding of them. These convictions led me to decide that I wanted to instill this same love of learning in students of my own, who deserve to have much better than I had. 

If you specialize in a particular subject area, why did you choose that specialty?
Ever since I can remember, I have loved stories. As a child, I devoured any story I could get my hands on. When we ran out of books to read at home, my parents told me stories about their childhoods. When they ran out of stories, they made some up. Then, I found that I had an endless supply of stories when I turned to the subject of history.  My love for the subject was ignited very early, and I have never lost interest. So, specializing in history and literature seemed like obvious choices when I was analyzing my options in college. 

What brought you to VanDamme Academy?
I have been a fan of the school for quite some time, and was lucky enough to meet a few members of the VanDamme Academy faculty while working as a cashier at a local bookstore. These encounters were extremely exciting to me, since I longed to learn more about the school. Mr. Lewis eventually brought me in for a tour, which allowed me to see first-hand what children are capable of when they are armed with a quality education and a passion for learning. The one thought I kept returning to the whole day I sat in on VanDamme Academy classes was, “I never want to leave!” When I heard about a possible employment opportunity with the school, I immediately jumped on it—and now I get to be here every day! 

What do you do in your free time?
In my free time, I love to read classic literature (anything published in the year 1908 or earlier is usually a hit for me)and crochet stuffed animals, and play with my children. I am also on the hunt for copies of all the Anne of Green Gables books with their original hardcovers, and dipping my toe into the rare book world has been fascinating.