CHANDLER, AZ — Chandler Unified School District is welcoming about 300 new teachers this school year - and among them is someone who knows the halls of these schools quite well!
Tanner Phillips is a recent University of Arizona graduate who's about to start at Basha High School as a sign language teacher. Before that, she was a Perry High School grad and spent all her K-12 years in the district!
"I am so excited!" says Phillips "Excited and nervous, but I think that comes with any job."
But this isn't just any job for Phillips - not only is this her first year of teaching, but it's also a full-circle moment of getting to teach where she grew up.
"I love living in Chandler and I think of it as home. I am so familiar with everything around here. This is where I grew up."
Phillips describes getting to teach at Chandler as a dream come true, but that doesn't mean there aren't some first-day-of-school jitters!
"I think it goes from making sure everything is set up and organized so that students have routines in place. I think that's what makes students thrive in a classroom. And that's my job to make sure those routines are in place. My brain has been running all summer. What am I going to do for this? How am I going to turn in late work?"
But despite those normal nerves, Phillips says she is excited to get started and really make a difference in the lives of her students.
"I truly believe this is the most rewarding job in the entire world. And the amount of people you are able to touch and meet and interact with you can't do that in any other job. And if I can get one student in my entire career and say I want to be an interpreter I want to teach sign language or I want to go to a deaf school for college, that makes my entire career worth it."
It's a family affair
It just so happens her parents work in the district as well!
Jayson Phillips is the principal at Casteel High School and her mom works at the district office as the director of Chandler RISE.
Both Tanner and Jayson sat down with ABC15 ahead of the first day of school.
"You are sitting next to your daughter who is technically your colleague. What is that like?" ABC15's Nick Ciletti asked.
"It's really exciting!" Jayson said. It has been incredibly rewarding to see his daughter blossom into a first-year teacher and watch her prepare.
"This whole summer has been about getting clipboards and bulletin boards set up," Jayson said. "Chandler Unified kind of feels like family and home. It really is. So to have my daughter be in the same workplace environment and know that people she works with and know there are people that care for her, it's a really good feeling."
From a young age, Tanner says she had a pretty good idea she'd follow in her parents' footsteps!
"She didn't have much of a choice!" Jayson jokes. "My wife is a teacher, I'm a teacher." In fact, Tanner comes from a long line of educators.
Tanner also remembers many occasions going with her dad to school events over the years.
"I was my dad's right-hand man," she explains. "I was there at soccer games. I've been to choir concerts for schools I didn't go to but that shows passionate he is. And having his family there, that means a lot."
And knowing she'll have that support from Mom and Dad as well, as her support system at Basha High School, is a great feeling heading into her first year.
"As you run into those bumps those hiccups in the first year, there are so many people you can go talk to and people at my site I can go ask for help, but it's nice knowing I can be really honest at home and be like this is what's going on."