In Room 127, tucked in the back of the classroom, you can find McCallum’s newest Business Information Management teacher, Sondra Primeaux. After being a long-term sub for the BIM class last school year, Primeaux has been given a permanent position teaching the class. Primeaux previously owned businesses and worked as a photographer and fashion designer, so she is no stranger to the business world. However, Primeaux has still faced many challenges as the school year starts.
“It’s been going great,” Primeaux said. “There’s a lot to learn and a lot to do, there are so many trainings that teachers have to take, a lot of them are virtual and you have to take them on your own time. That combined with lesson planning and getting used to the new environment, it’s a lot, but it’s been fun.”
In the BIM class, Primeaux has been teaching students all the life skills they will need to navigate their future careers.
“We also learn a lot of systems to support that, like how to make a resume in Google Docs and how to make a spreadsheet to keep track of your studies,” Primeaux said. “We do presentations so students get used to speaking in front of people and learning how to conduct themselves in an interview or work environment.”
Primeaux originally received her teaching credentials when she was in her early 20s, but decided not to teach yet and went on to work in other fields before making her return.
“I’ve owned a couple of businesses the last 25 years,” Primeaux said. “I’ve been a photographer and fashion designer and educator. A few years ago I started thinking about it again and decided I wanted to teach, so it’s a real full circle moment.”
BIM student junior McKenna Templin finds Primeaux and her class to be informative and interesting.
“I think I’ve learned some skills that are pretty useful, like ways to present yourself for a job interview or ways to act in a job,” Templin said. “I think that’s pretty useful because some students might not know that.”
As a first-year teacher, Templin thinks Primeaux has done well so far.
“So far, I like that if you just go to talk to her, she will do whatever you need,” Templin said.
In addition to teaching the BIM class, Primeaux has been a mentor for the student-led fashion show. She worked with last year’s senior fashion show directors and provided workshop opportunities for the fashion designers at Austin Creative Reuse. This year, she is hoping to continue her involvement in the fashion show.
“I am eager to meet with the senior directors and see what they have in store for this year, and what they think the theme is going to be,” Primeaux said.
Now that Primeaux has her own classroom, new possibilities are available for the fashion show and its designers.
“We did workshops off campus with Austin Creative Reuse last year and this year I’m hoping we can just do it all right here,” Primeaux said. “I’m putting together a little makers’ corner in my classroom and I’m putting together a club, a fashion design and sewing club that will be open to anybody who wants to come in and learn.”
Senior fashion show director Thea Clare Brosnan has noticed a change in the way the fashion show has been run, thanks to Ms. Primeaux’s contributions.
“When I started on the fashion show, Mr. Rogers had been working on it at the time,” Brosnan said. “Then, Ms. Primeaux came in the next year, and it was such a shift in leadership. She showed up to all the meetings, and she was very communicative with us about plans and schedules.”
Having a classroom on campus also makes communication for the fashion show more available, according to Brosnan.
“The other day we had a meeting and had a few questions and were able to just run to her room and talk to her about it rather than having to wait for a text or waiting to talk to her in person at meetings, so just having her here and accessible is great,” Brosnan said.
Primeaux will continue to put her knowledge of business and fashion to use throughout the school year to further develop the fashion show and her BIM class.
