English teacher Ruth Magnuson first embarked on her road to teaching by studying Spanish literature at Pomona College. Then, after receiving her teaching credential, Magnuson taught for eight years at Upland Junior High and afterwards nine years at Santa Monica High School before coming to SDA.

Magnuson is currently teaching tenth grade honors English, AVID, and will be teaching ninth grade English next semester. “[I want to] get kids excited about learning; to really think about what they read and the world around them,” said Magnuson.

Like most teachers, Magnuson has teacher anxiety dreams. Every summer, a couple weeks before school starts, she dreams of wild and rowdy students jumping out of windows and running around the classroom like kindergarteners on a sugar high. Anxious and unprepared for the day, in her dream, she attempts to control all of the crazy students.