Theresa Sparks

From rock climbing to teaching, Lynbrook’s new Academic Communications teacher Theresa Sparks is an active staff member off and on campus. 

Sparks always wanted to be a teacher as she enjoyed working with kids in general. Before coming to Lynbrook, she taught at Prospect High School, elementary and middle schools in the Cupertino Union High School District and Pescadero Elementary School. Her motivation as a teacher is largely driven by her sense of accomplishment when influencing students’ lives for the better.

Her experiences with her own high school teachers also impacted the type of teacher she wants to be. Sparks is inspired by her favorite high school teacher, Ms. Meyers, who was down-to-earth and someone the students could all connect with. Likewise, Sparks aims to make her classroom an enjoyable space where everyone, including herself, can be themselves. As an Academic Communications teacher, Sparks focuses on helping students develop the skills required to effectively communicate in the classroom, on campus, and beyond high school. 

“Students feel more comfortable when they are in a classroom in which they are accepted, heard, and understood,” Sparks said. “That is what I strive for.”

In her spare time, Sparks enjoys participating in activities like mountain biking, rock climbing and paddle boarding. She enjoys forms of exercise that involve a lot of movement, even if they may seem out of her comfort zone. 

As she grows familiar with the Lynbrook community, Sparks has noticed the studious atmosphere among the students. At the same time, she highlights how Lynbrook remains a positive and supportive space where students are able to explore a variety of interests. Sparks draws upon that energy to make her classes as meaningful and enjoyable as possible.

“I hope that I can, even in a tiny way, affect one person positively, and then that has a ripple effect and other people are positively affected,” Sparks said.