Poway High prides itself on their spirit but spanish teacher Kelly (Hoffy) Hofmaister takes it one step further. Hoffy dresses for every spirit day, like on tacky tourist day where she wore a big hat with sunglasses, and a bright colorful shirt.
Hofmaister, who teaches Spanish 1 and 5, has been teaching at Poway for 28 years. She was originally a Sun Devil when she attended Mt. Carmel High School, but has proudly shifted to Titan Green.
Hofmaister is known for always showing her school spirit. She goes to great lengths to be cheerful every day because it makes the day more fun overall for her, and the students in her classes. She said teaching at high school changed her because she wanted to be able to teach kids Spanish, but also have the students view her as more than just a teacher.
“I wasn’t like this in high school for sure and was more of a shy person when I attended school,” Hofmaister said.
Hofmaister’s room, F-03 is filled with a festive atmosphere ranging from things she picked up in different countries like Costa Rica, and Mexico. She likes to have a spirited and comfortable space when she teaches because it makes class feel even more exciting.
Two weeks into this school year, she gave out extra credit points to students in her classes who dress up for the green-out Fridays.
“It was a bribe to have school spirit,” Hofmaister said.
Freshman Grand Kao in Hofmaister’s Spanish 1 class says that he likes the way she is spirited in class because it brings a different vibe apart from his other classes. Kao says she is really energetic but still will be strict when needed.
Even so he said, “I trust her teaching methods because it is helping me learn Spanish in fun and interesting ways.”
Former student Junior Ryan Dickey, said, “She always is talking about going to football games and will always dress up for any spirit day to encourage her students to participate.” Dickey said whenever he is in class she is always smiling and wanting to encourage her students.
Junior Bryan Nolasco, another former student, had a great experience with Hofmaister.
“Whenever she sees me, she always will greet me with a smile on her face,” Nolasco said.
He noted that on Wednesdays, Hofmaister will wear college gear to represent the colleges her children attend, showing how much she loves to have spirit no matter what it’s for.
Hofmaister shows up every day with this spirited aura. The main thing that motivates her to show this off daily is that it makes her feel more united with the other teachers at Poway High. For Hofmaister, it goes further than teachers to students because it makes her feel more connected with the students she teaches, as well as her colleagues.
