Class Act: Graduate Draws on Theater Experience for Teaching Job

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Posted on October 16, 2024

Marketing and Communications

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#MyFirstJob is a series focused on recent graduates of the University of South Alabama.

Dominique Garcia-Hopper began studying drama at the University of South Alabama, but found her way into the College of Education and Professional Studies, where she was named the outstanding student in elementary school education.

Now she teaches third-graders at Saraland Elementary School, where her theater background helps keep students focused on their lessons.

“With the attention span of children today, you have to be able to keep them entertained,” said Garcia-Hopper. “It’s almost like I’m teaching in a play, where you want them to be characters, you want them to play certain roles. There’s no fourth wall, we’re all in it together, and that contributes to engagement.”

She decorates her classroom with colored lights and arranges desks in small groups. Less formal, more fun — and effective. Sometimes her educational play is more like a musical.

Garcia-Hopper and her students share a motivational routine where they sing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” At the end of the school day, she plays an old NSYNC song: “Bye Bye Bye.”

A first-year teacher, Garcia-Hooper is getting more comfortable and confident in the classroom.

“Saraland has a lot of young teachers, so you don’t feel out of place,” Garcia-Hopper said. “And the older teachers don’t treat us like we’re new. They’re interested in our ideas and what we think about things.”

Garcia-Hopper, 22, grew up in Gadsden, Alabama, where she played sports and explored drama and community theater. She appeared on stage in everything from “Much Ado About Nothing” to “The Little Mermaid.”

In the fifth grade, she remembers getting special encouragement from one of her teachers.

“One day, she pulled me out in the hall and said, ‘You’re different,’” Garcia-Hopper recalled. “She said, ‘I’m going to push you a little harder this year because I know you can do more.’ I still think about her sometimes.”

As a teenager, she began working for a company called Once Upon a Time Parties. She became a part-time princess. She even took her show on the road.

“I got to do events in Birmingham, Atlanta, Dallas — all over the South,” she said. “I played characters like ‘Moana’’ and Jasmine from ‘Aladdin.’ It was a lot of fun.”

Playing those characters helped pay for her tuition and expenses at the University of South Alabama. She wanted to go away to college, but not too far from home. Mobile fit the bill.

Garcia-Hopper joined Chi Omega and lived in a sorority house on campus. Greek life was an important part of her college experience.

“You’re so close to everything,” she said. “You’re right in the middle of campus, so you know everything that’s going on.”

In the College of Education and Professional Studies, she took classes and did student teaching. Not all of her work was in elementary education. One of her mentors was Dr. Bridget Burrell, who taught special education before retiring from South.

“She was really intentional with her students,” said Garcia-Hopper. “Her mentality was that they could do everything, and she demanded nothing less.”

As a senior, Garcia-Hopper printed up resumes and attended a job fair for education students. That’s where she met Dr. Stan Stokley, the principal at Saraland Elementary, who asked about her outstanding student award.

“Then he asked if I could come to an interview the next day,” she said. “And I did, and we talked some more, and he offered me a job on the spot.”

Garcia-Hopper’s mother is a former teacher who supported her move into education. She offered real-world experience and practical advice, as well as a second set of hands.

“She made the curtains for my classroom and helped me organize things,” her daughter said. “You know, the kind of things you need your mom for.”

Garcia-Hopper often gets to school early and stays late. She’s still learning about teaching. There are always papers to grade and lesson plans to prepare.

“My brain really never stops thinking about this job,” she said. “There’s plenty of times at home in the evening when I get an idea and do research about things we can do in the classroom.”

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