Lion’s Tale: Tell me about your cart, because I know you didn’t use to have it.

Jewish history teacher Sara Coxe: When I first started working [at JDS], we used to have a desktop computer in each classroom and in each office. The school didn’t give us computers; if you wanted a notebook, you had to buy your own. At some point around ten years ago, we got computers from school to do work on. I’ve always wanted to be able to have my computer open and be able to stand up in front of the class. My husband had [a cart] at work, but he stopped working at that place so he gave it to me. I couldn’t figure out how to make that cart high enough, so I got a cart from the container store.

LT: Do you use your cart in the classroom?

SC: I bought a tall chair and the idea was to be able to sit in it with the cart which has an opening so I can put my legs underneath. Last year I was in the same room [the whole day] so I didn’t really need it, but this year I’m in three different rooms, so I just drag this cart with me. It really does help me have the things that I need. I love my cart.

LT: Does the cart ever get inconvenient?

SC: It does because I feel like a lot of these rooms have too many tables and I can’t move it around. The rooms are hard to get in and out of.

LT: Do you think that every teacher should have a cart?

SC: I think a lot of teachers are finding that they need something like it. It begs the question: should we have the departments the [located in the school] way they are, given the fact that we now have two separate middle schools and high schools? Mrs. Landy tries really hard to get teachers in as few classrooms as possible. Most teachers have one classroom, but for some, she couldn’t make it work.

LT: Would you ever think of just using a backpack?

SC: You know, I wonder why that didn’t work for me. [Maybe] because it’s too hard to unpack it and repack it. I mean it’s not hard, but it takes time.