BY ERIKA ANDERSON

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--One of three new teachers at Our Lady of the Assumption School, Victoria Spratt has always wanted to teach in a Catholic school setting.

Spratt, 30, newly hired computer software teacher at OLA, said she is excited about meeting her students.

“I’m excited about all the possibilities,” she said Aug. 18, a week before school opened. “I’m motivated and looking forward to getting to know all the students.”

Spratt taught at Swindon College in Lynham, England, where she lived for five years with her husband, Chris, a former Royal Air Force pilot who is now with Lockheed-Martin. A parishioner of the Church of St. Ann in Marietta, she said she has always wanted to teach at a Catholic school.

“As a practicing Catholic, I know that it’s hard to find teachers who are...strong in their faith,” she said. “And (faith) does reflect when teaching. I don’t think kids miss a thing and it makes a difference in a positive way.”

While in England, Spratt volunteered at a private Catholic elementary school because the school lacked funds to hire a full-time computer teacher. Spratt said although she is excited to teach in the United States, she will need time to adapt.

Unlike the U.S., children in England are expected to choose a career at 13, so they can begin to take classes to support that decision.

“In America, a child has the chance to explore,” she said. “There are so many choices.”

Originally from Texas, Spratt holds a bachelor’s degree in office education from the University of Northern Texas in Denton. While in college, she worked for an insurance agency, but said that she prefers teaching to the business world.

“My ultimate goal was always to teach,” she said. “I do feel that is my gift and I really wanted to use it.”

Spratt enjoys teaching a subject that students will need in their everyday lives.

“When you’re able to teach a lesson that the kids will use later in life, that’s really satisfying,” she said. “Computers are everywhere and they’re not going away. It’s nice to know that I will be helping.”

Spratt said that she enjoys the challenge of teaching and particularly when she is able to help a struggling student.

“When I get a student who understands a lesson, that is very exciting, but it is just as exciting to see a student who is working very hard at a lesson and is challenged by it finally understand,” she said. “If a student takes longer to learn something, it never occurs to me that they can’t do it. It just might take a little longer or the material may need to be presented in another way.”

That commitment to students is present at OLA, Spratt said.

“I’m really impressed with the dedication of the teachers...It’s amazing to see their dedication and what they are expecting of each other and of themselves,” she said. “They’ve done everything they possibly can to make me feel welcome. It’s definitely a Christian atmosphere.”

Though most new teachers get first day jitters, much like new students, Spratt said she is ready to begin and believes teaching at OLA will strengthen her own faith.

“It strengthens my faith to see students whose families are encouraging them in their faith, who are putting them in an environment where they can learn and their faith can grow at the same time,” she said. “And to see parents with their strong faith, it really motivates me to be the best teacher that I possibly can be. I am just honored that God has allowed me to teach His children.”