She’s The First is a Keynote series in which I interview different women in the Keystone community, whether they be faculty, staff, or parents, to learn more about their lives, careers, and how they empower those around them. It is an initiative with Keystone’s chapter of She’s The First through the Keystone Matters Council. The international nonprofit organization aims to empower, educate, and uplift girls everywhere.
For the December Edition of the Keynote, we are ending the semester with an interview with a longtime Keystone member, Dottie Hall. She teaches British Literature and AP English Literature and Composition, as well as sponsoring the Keystone Keynote newspaper. She joined Keystone in 2020. Her passion for education and investment in her students shines at Keystone, and she has a warm, loving presence on our campus.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
To start, I’d love to learn a little more about your childhood and background. Where did you grow up? What did you do after high school and college?
I grew up in San Antonio, on the Southside of the city, as the second-youngest of four. I went to public school here, graduating from John Marshall High School near Helotes. It was an “agriculture” school, because it was so rural, but I was more of a dancer; I did French club, I was really involved. I loved high school and that whole experience, and I still have great friends from high school. Seven of us from John Marshall went to Texas A&M together, and even though some friends transferred, we stay in touch, and go on trips together. They are my dearest friends, and I truly think that your high school friends are important, and it’s beneficial to stay in touch with them. Like I said, I went to A&M for college and got a degree in education, focusing on English and French. I’ve never taught French, I’ve always been teaching English. I actually got my first teaching job at John Marshall, teaching 11th grade English and coaching the dance team at the time. It was so much fun for me, especially with the dance team, to go back to where I once learned. I stayed in the Northside School District for almost my whole career, teaching high school English for 20+ years. I was also a department coordinator at O’Connor High School, and Health Careers High School, and, after a while, became an academic dean at O’Connor, eventually becoming principal at Health Careers High School.
How did you end up at Keystone?
I retired from public education after 8 years doing administration. During that time, I travelled all over the state with a friend of mine doing education workshops in different Texas cities, which really reinforced to me how much I missed being in the classroom. I knew Mrs. Tyroff (a former English teacher at Keystone) and was given the opportunity to sub for her for six weeks and absolutely fell in love with Keystone. I kept subbing here and there, and when there was an opening for an English teacher, I applied. To me, Keystone is a perfect place for a lot of reasons, but I had a really close-knit group of colleagues who taught English here, and that was just the cherry on top. I’ve never regretted it, going back to teaching. My time here did start during the pandemic, on Zoom, which was probably one of the bigger challenges I’ve faced teaching. I’ve always prided myself on being able to connect with my students fairly quickly, which didn’t happen so easily during that time, but we survived, and this is now my sixth year at Keystone.
It’s remarkable to see all the paths you’ve taken and different positions you’ve held throughout your career. Do you think that there was a specific moment or experience that has shaped you or taught you something that you would attribute to your success as an educator?
One of the most important things that I learned along the way was the value of finding a really strong mentor. I very early on had a mentor, and she has long since passed away, but she was the person I always turned to when I first started teaching. She was the person who pushed me and nurtured me into new experiences. I would say that having a mentor is something that is so useful in any job, no matter what it may be, having someone who cares about you and is willing to help you. I know how important that connection is, and have truly tried to be that person now for younger teachers, and even students. Teaching is so much about relationships, it’s a lot more complex than just learning content. It is a field that is so rich, and has the ability to change so many lives.
Looking back at the times when you were making decisions to move up to higher, more administrative positions, I’m sure some level of imposter syndrome or insecurity about your capabilities as a teacher kicked in. If you could give yourself any advice during that crucial time in your life, what would you say?
When I decided to become an academic dean and a principal, reflecting on that time, it was a really tough spot to be in, because I would be leaving what I was comfortable with, what I knew, in the classroom. As an administrator, something that I eventually learned was that you cannot go in with the notion that you can change or fix everything. It’s so much better to take a year and observe what’s going on, with the teachers, the students, and the work. Then you start making decisions, making changes. You have to learn where the strengths are in your team and your program, not just in yourself. I think I learned that from watching other administrators, whom I did have the luxury of being around.
That’s so important and necessary to realize. If you could give advice to young women at this age, or going through similar experiences, what advice would you give them?
Never ever be afraid to ask questions. I am someone who now asks questions all the time; it just has to become a part of what you do. Questions are not something you should see as a weakness, because they are so important. Also, I think that when looking at the busy lives we all lead, it is so important to take time to breathe and reflect about what you learned, what you did well, what you could have done differently. It seems like simple advice, but a lot of people don’t do these things. I feel that if more young girls did this, they would hopefully focus more on their strengths and what they do well, because a lot of times, inherently, we automatically think about how we’re failing instead of how we’re succeeding. I think that asking questions and reflecting on choices made, along with having a mentor, are skills that really could benefit so many in today’s modern society.
You mentioned that you majored in education in college, and have been working the education system in San Antonio for a while now. What led you to choose teaching in the first place?
I have always wanted to teach. I’ve known since I was a young girl that I wanted to be in education, but I wasn’t always sure about what I was going to teach. I was fairly strong at English and language subjects in middle and high school and had some really wonderful teachers in those subjects as well. I loved languages, I learned French and Latin in school, and I do occasionally regret never teaching French, but, because I was first starting out with teaching right after college, I took the jobs that were open.
Do you think there was a specific moment where you first thought that teaching would be the career for you?
Yes, I did! My third grade teacher, Mrs. Turner, really inspired me to teach. We did so many fun writing activities in that class, and put on theater productions, and as soon as I was done with that class, I just knew I had to teach, I had to be the next Mrs. Turner. I don’t know if I’ll ever be as good as her, but if I had to pick a moment that would be it.
Who is your biggest female role model, and why?
It has to be my mom, first of all. She was always very encouraging, especially because my siblings didn’t go to college. She loved that I was at A&M, and was always very proud. As far as other role models, I had a friend, Pat Gray, who has since passed away, who was a supervisor for me when I was first teaching. When considering role models I’ve never met, I love writers like Ann Patchett, but I also love women like Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton. I think they are such good role models for younger girls, and it frustrates me a lot when people in the public eye don’t set good examples for future generations. There have been lots of people along the way who have influenced me.
Last book you read/are currently reading? I just started The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Superpower you wish you had? More athletic, like I’d love to be a long distance runner.
Go-to dessert? Cheesecake.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be? Colorado in the mountains. Internationally, I love France. Texas is too hot.
If you weren’t a teacher, what profession would you choose? Nursing, but looking back, I probably wouldn’t be very good at it.
