Teacher Feature: Mia Smith
Anyone who steps inside the classroom of Mia Boardman Smith, TPHS AP Language and Composition and Beginning Journalism teacher and adviser of the Falconer for 18 years, might notice the abundance of photos on her walls. The pictures are faded: smiling faces and dated fashion. These are photos of Smith’s students from years past. And she can still name every face.
“I go to weddings, baby showers; I’m in touch with a lot of [past students] — it surprises me,” Smith said. “It’s one of the greatest things in my life that they want to [keep in touch]. It’s just so weird to me — I always say, ‘you guys are such losers that you want to hang out with your high school teacher.’”
This May closes out her 21-year career at TPHS, as Smith plans to retire at the end of this school year. It seems only fitting that she was named the 2024 TPHS Certificated Employee of the Year.
“It was so formative in my high school experience to have a teacher who was so consistent and someone I could go to about anything,” Dixie Wallerius (‘23), former editor-in-chief of the Falconer, said. “Being able to have all of that for four years and beyond has been so amazing.”
Gabe Hadad (12), who had Smith for AP Lang, echoed this.
“Something I learned from [Smith] is that people are actually very caring and they want the best for you,” Hadad said.
But Smith didn’t always plan to become the beloved teacher she is known to be. She received her B.A. in Journalism from San Diego State University and became a copywriter and freelance reporter, writing for the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner.
But after returning to school to get her B.A. in English and her teaching credential, she ended up at TPHS in 2002, teaching Beginning Journalism and 9th-grade English. Ever since, Smith has taught not only students but her colleagues as well.
“Of course, we’re both feminists, but to really live that and not just say it [is what she does]. I think that standing up to be heard, and maybe being that pushy broad, [is crucial],” Lisa Callender, AP Literature and Composition and AP Seminar teacher, said. “That’s what Mia represents, and that’s certainly what she’s imparted to me. I’m trying to live up to that legacy.”
According to Heather Lopez, TPHS English 11, AP Research and Academic Survival teacher, part of what makes Smith a great teacher is her ability to be “rigorous but also incredibly personable.”
“She holds the line and holds the expectation, but at the end of the day, she cares about [her students],” Lopez said. “As a teacher who hopes to make an impact on students the way she has, I really respect the way she handles herself.”
For Smith, the most important part of her classroom is to meet the students where they are.
“I’ve always said to my students, ‘I think the most insulting thing in the world would be to have low expectations,’” Smith said.
These high expectations have proven effective. Between multiple national titles won by the Falconer and the abundance of prestigious college banners that line Smith’s walls (all gifts from former students), her unwavering belief in her students’ potential is clear. For Kara Adler, the adviser of Falcon Vision and the future adviser of the Falconer, this belief is most obvious in the way she runs the Falconer.
“She’s so confident in the skills she taught [her students] and also who [her students] are as a staff that she doesn’t need to be … checking in 24/7,” Adler said.
This trust in the competence of her students is what helps her effectively cultivate what Lopez calls “critical thinkers.”
“She wants [her students] to engage in meaningful discourse, so that they’re not just better students and thinkers, but they’re better people,” Lopez said.
As a testament to Smith’s impact, Lopez even named her first daughter “Mia,” after Smith.
“I admire her so much and so I felt like if our kid was able to embody who Mia is as a person, as a teacher, as someone who takes risks with such a generous heart and a lovely spirit, I feel like it was the right choice for her,” Lopez said.
During her retirement, Smith plans to keep busy. Between two newborn grandchildren, Sawyer and Blue, a table-setting business, a nonprofit organization and a potential novel in the works, Smith’s life will certainly be full.
As the school year winds to a close, Smith held an end-of-year party at her house for the Falconer staff — an annual tradition. This year, the staff compiled videos of Smith’s past students congratulating her.
“Seeing how she was able to remember students from 20 years ago showed how she really makes an effort to make a connection with each and every student,” Makaylah Gerling (11), who will be the editor-in-chief of the Falconer next year, said. “She’s made an impact on all of our lives.”
