20 questions with Mrs. Farra

2.What did your friends call you when you were in the 4^th grade? When I was in the 4^th grade my friends called me Annie.  Back then I was Annie Nesmith, but when I started middle school I decided to go by Anne.  My family and oldest friends still call me Annie. 

3.What do you teach at St. Francis School?  I teach 4^th grade Language Arts and Social Studies.

4.What was your favorite subject when you were in the 4^th grade?  Language Arts and Social Studies! 

5.When you were in 4^th grade, what was your favorite book?  Probably Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson.  I also loved historical fiction. Another favorite was The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi.

6.As an adult, what is your favorite book?  Oh, that’s a hard one!  I love fiction and any book that makes me want to go change the world or cry myself to sleep.  My favorite author is David Sedaris, his stories are always hilarious!

7.What is your favorite memory from the 4^th grade?  I started at a new school in the 4^th grade and loved meeting new friends.  Getting to know my new school and my new friends is probably my favorite memory.

8.What is your favorite memory from teaching 4^th grade?  Well, this will be my sixth year teaching 4^th grade.  I taught for 3 years at a different school before I came to St. Francis.  One memory from my second year of teaching that still makes me laugh is a student who had gone through almost the entire day with his shoes on the wrong feet!  But my most favorite memories are those of my students!

9.     Name all of the schools you have ever attended.  For elementary school I attended Dunn and Coleridge-Taylor, for middle school Kammerer, and high school Ballard.  I went to Centre College where I studied all sorts of different things, but took a lot of art history and religion classes.  Most recently, I attended Bellarmine University where I learned how to be a better teacher (and earned my Masters).

10.Who was your favorite teacher? Oh, another hard one!  I’ve been lucky to have several amazing teachers.  Some of my favorite teachers who have helped to make me the teacher I am today are . . . Mrs. Craig, Mrs. Gleason, Ms. Jefferies, Mrs. Bryant, Mrs. Mays, Mr. Kalb, Dr. Levin, Dr. Goral and Dr. Axtell.

11. If you weren't a teacher, what would you want to be?  I would want to work in an art museum or be a personal shopper (I have a lot of experience in that department!).

12.What do you do when you aren’t at school?  I spend a lot of time playing with my dog, Gus.  My husband, Matt, and I will take Gus for walks, play in the yard, and chase him around the dining room table to get back our socks!  I also love to run (Gus is a great running partner).  When the mosquitoes aren’t bad I love spending time in my yard gardening and sitting on the deck reading a good book.  If I’m not in any of those places you’ll probably find me in the kitchen – I love to cook!

13.Speaking of cooking, what’s your favorite food?  I have a few favorites: chips and salsa, any fresh vegetable or fruit, and anything topped with cheese or peanuts!

14.What’s your favorite color?  Blue!

15.Do you have any children?  Just Gus, who thinks he’s human!  But I do have four nieces who I love to spoil!

16.Do you have any brothers or sisters?  Sarah Dewberry (a counselor at SFS) is my sister and my brother lives in Danville, KY.  P.S.  It’s lots of fun to work with your sister!

17. Do you cheer for UK or UL?  Do I have to answer this question?  I cheer for both teams equally throughout football and basketball seasons.  I have one UL shirt and one UK shirt.  But, if they are playing each other I have to cheer for UK. 

18. What type of music do you listen to?  I tend to lean more towards alternative, alt-country, folk, and rock.  Some of my favorite bands are Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Okkervil River, Neko Case, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, and the list could go on . . . I love music!  My husband and I love to go to concerts and visit different cities to hear our favorite bands. 

19. Do you like your job?  I LOVE my job!

20.Any advice for your fourth grade class?  Be prepared to learn a lot, work hard, laugh, try new things, and have a lot of fun!