Christina Dupont’s junior year of high school was hard.
Dupont’s AP U.S. History teacher, Mrs. Weiss, eased the struggle of Dupont’s junior year. She fostered Dupont’s love for the subject, ultimately paving the way for her future in education.
“Mrs. Weiss is still one of the best teachers I have ever had,” AP U.S. History and sociology teacher Dupont said. “She had enthusiasm for the subject, willingness to provide opportunities to all students and made sure that everybody had the chance to be successful.”
Even though Dupont acknowledges history as being difficult, the class sparked her initial interest in the subject. Dupont remembers Weiss as someone who pushed her toward the idea of teaching.
“For me, [the class] was kind of a wake up call that [history] could be fun,” Dupont said. “From there on, it became my goal [to] provide that same opportunity to students.”
But even before Weiss’ class, education had always been a pillar in Dupont’s life. From her grandmother’s 30-year career as a kindergarten teacher to her father’s 20-year band director position, teaching was “in her blood.”
After majoring in history in college at Houston Christian University and spending most of her time in U.S. history classes, Dupont taught third grade U.S. history and science classes. After teaching sixth grade for two years at YES Prep, Dupont transitioned to teaching 11th and 12th grade social studies courses at KIPP Academy.
“I don’t think that I was that great of a teacher when I first started teaching high schoolers because I don’t think that I fully understood how a high schooler’s brain works,” Dupont said. “I struggled to meet the needs of my students in that first year teaching high schoolers. If you don’t build the relationships first to have mutual respect on both sides, then you can really struggle to enforce consistency. So for me, that first year was really a moment of reflection. After that, I started to get the hang of it.”
In her first year of Dupont’s teaching AP U.S. History, Dupont taught on-level world history and sociology last year.
“My heart has always been with [APUSH], so when the opportunity came up, I was like, ‘Yes, that would be my dream to go back to that,’” Dupont said. “I just really love it. I love the content. I love helping students make connections between time periods.”
Despite not having experienced a team-teaching environment before, Dupont was “really excited” to join the team. She said the other APUSH teachers, AP European History teacher Grace Srouji and Dual Credit U.S. Government teacher Jared Manuel, to be “very welcoming.”
“I was very enthusiastic to be back in APUSH and to experience it, teaching wise, in a way that I had not gotten to experience,” Dupont said. “Every day is memorable with Mr. Manuel and Ms. Srouji. They make me laugh, and the balance between the three of us is fun to navigate. I learn so much from them on a regular basis. There’s a lot that the three of us are able to offer to students that I really enjoy.”
According to Manuel, Bellaire’s AP U.S. History course has been the “best in the district for decades,” with the highest passing rate for the AP exam. He agrees that Dupont has “done a great job acclimating” to the team teaching environment, despite having “big shoes to fill.”
“AP U.S. history is a relay race,” Manuel said. “We grab the baton from those who came before us. Ms. Dupont is doing a great job providing that excellence that we’ve seen from all the teachers that came before us. This isn’t just about the three of us. It’s about all those others who have retired like Mrs. Edaburn.”
Even before Dupont arrived at Bellaire, her goal has been to help her students understand the history behind how things were built and “how we got to where we are today.” Junior Jermaine Betts said her method of teaching delivers on both fronts and is effective for his learning style.
“I definitely prefer a class that’s more structured, because it makes it easier for me to refer to notes,” Betts said. “She offers a lot of her perspective on the situation. It’s not just the history, but also the meaning behind the history, which is why I think her teaching is very effective.”
Even though Dupont has been Betts’ social studies teacher for two consecutive years, AP U.S. History was his first time taking an AP-level course. He appreciated Dupont’s efforts to help him feel more acclimated to the transition into a more rigorous curriculum.
“I didn’t take AP World History last year, so going into an AP class, it was definitely helpful to see [a familiar] face,” Betts said. “She just made sure that I knew that everybody else’s pace wasn’t exactly going to be my pace, seeing as I hadn’t dealt with that level of class before.”
Betts’ experience mirrors that of Dupont’s in high school, since AP U.S. History was also her first time taking an AP level course.
“Helping first time AP students is a passion of mine,” Dupont said. “I want to make sure that all students have access to quality education because that was [the] opportunity that I was provided, [which] I very much value. That is definitely full circle, because I feel like I’m getting to do what I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m very grateful for that.”
As an educator, Dupont tries to support all of her students.
“I love my students,” Dupont said. “I want them to do well, and the three of us always hope the best for everyone anytime APUSH students feel like life is rough. We all know the struggle, and we’re all coming from a place of wanting to make sure everyone is going to be successful.”
