Wood shavings flying. Nails on the floor. The whir of a saw ringing through the garage. One new teacher was working on her latest project, and it had nothing to do with her students.  

 Meagan Reddick, Etowah special education teacher, has had a talent for building furniture for many years. Reddick’s most recent project was creating the furniture in her dining room.  She built the benches and the table.  Reddick believes she inherited her skills from her father who also has a talent working with his hands.  

“My dad is a carpenter, and he used to own his own business. He’s very handy. I think that’s where I got my confidence from,” Reddick said.  

Building is not where her passion stops. When she is not working, Reddick enjoys spending time with her pets. Before she met her fiancé, she had two dogs and a cat. Not knowing she would be adding more animals to the family, her soon to be husband moved in with his two cats and a dog. Reddick’s love for animals has expanded.  

“Once we got together, we had this ‘Brady Bunch’ situation. They kind of take up all of our time,” Reddick said. 

Reddick also enjoys baking. Before becoming a teacher, she helped open a cupcake bakery and worked there for over a year.  Her favorite part was decorating the cupcakes. She enjoyed how it let her express herself and try new ideas. Working in the bakery revealed a different side that Reddick was not aware of before. 

“There were so many fun designs and cute decorations. It was fun to play around with it and get creative,” Reddick said. 

 This is Reddick’s seventh year teaching, but her first at Etowah.  She moved here, so her commute to work would be shorter.  Although she has been teaching for a while, moving to a new school made her feel like it was her first year teaching all over again.  

“Even though I’m in my seventh year, and I feel very established, and I know what I’m doing, coming to a whole new place made me feel like I did not know what I was doing,” Reddick said. 

Reddick shares that the staff has made transitioning easier for her. Many faculty members helped her feel welcome, and Reddick is grateful for their support so far.  

“I feel like I have very quickly been taken in by other staff and teachers and been shown how to do things. I think the faculty here has been very welcoming and very supportive,” Reddick said. 

Reddick is excited about what this school year has to bring, and she cannot wait to continue to grow her passions at Etowah.