This week, the Warrior Word sat down and interviewed Ms. Lampner, who is a new English staff member at Hebrew Academy. Get to know her as she shares her writing expertise, where she has lived, and her many hobbies!
Emilie Bensoussan: Hi, what's your name?
Ms. Lampner: My name is Ms. Lampner.
Shirel Benhamou: What was your profession prior to attending Hebrew Academy?
ML: Before coming here to teach, I was a writer, and I still work as a writer.
EB: Are you a published writer?
ML: Yes, I've written for Forbes, TechCrunch, Inc, and many more. I've also written for some literary magazines and recently had another poem published. I'm also the editor for Jew in the City. I've had a bunch of different jobs. I have a tutoring company where I help people write their college essays and assist with English. I've helped people get into very prestigious colleges; it's called Lexi’s Learning.
SB: Were you born in Miami, or have you lived in different places throughout your life?
ML: When I was born, my parents lived in Miami Beach and we moved to Surfside when I was six months old. I lived in Minnesota between 2019 and 2021, and it's very cold there, basically the opposite of Miami.
SB: What made you decide to move back?
ML: Well, I didn't think I was meant to be in Miami, but when I left, I realized that I wanted to go back, and now I've been here for three years.
EB: How has your time been in Hebrew Academy so far?
ML: There's never a dull moment. I like it. I enjoy being around people all day long, and it's fun to interact and learn from people younger than me, so it's fun. It's also a really awesome team. I like everyone that I work with.
EB: What classes and grades do you teach?
ML: I teach one 8th-grade class, which is Honors Humanities. I teach American Literature Core and Honors, which are both 11th-grade classes. I also teach AP Literature for seniors, Davening for seniors, and I'm the teacher for the yearbook committee with seniors, as well.
SB: What hobbies do you have outside of teaching and writing?
ML: Writing takes a lot of time, but I love doing yoga and pilates. I like to go to the beach. I like to do pottery; I make little bowls, plates, spoons, and tzedakah boxes. I'm a very creative person. I like to cook, bake, and make healthy treats. As long as I'm making something interesting, I enjoy it. I also love art, music, and especially Torah.
EB: How were you raised in a Jewish family? Did you have a Jewish education growing up?
ML: I went to Jewish schools when I was younger and then went to public school. For college, I went to the University of Florida.
EB: What's your favorite part of teaching?
ML: For a lot of my classes, I start off with a prompt, and I really like to see my students' responses to the prompt, especially when it's creative.
SB: What are some of your prompts?
ML: There's this thought experiment where you ask people to describe a chair, and it's very hard because people can say that it's something to sit on, but that can also be a couch or a tree stump. When the prompts are interesting, it gets you thinking. It could also be how you describe a cake or how you see something without really seeing it, so that's fun. I also like when we do stories with hidden meanings; it's a little bit harder to find the answers, but when the students find it, they're so excited. That's really fun.
Composed by: Shirel Benhamou (10th) & Emilie Bensoussan (10th)
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