Lisa McCahill

On her first day at MVHS, Special Education teacher Lisa McCahill complained about her windowless classroom — a contrast from the beach and hiking trails near her home in Capitola. That night, she ordered a huge mural of a colorful sunrise over the beach and decorated her classroom with it, several plants and string lights — and a drawing from her 10-year-old daughter on the whiteboard.

 

Both her newly decorated classroom and the welcoming nature of the staff helped McCahill feel comfortable teaching at MVHS after 15 years of teaching Special Education at Saratoga High School. Although she originally wanted to be a veterinarian, McCahill’s experience in tutoring students with special needs stuck with her throughout the years.

 

“I love working with [special needs] students,” McCahill said. “A lot of them have very different kinds of needs, but personality wise they make me laugh — they're genuinely good people. They're kind of developmentally immature, and so they don't have that desire to lie. They're just pure, innocent people, and so they make you see that in everyone else, and want to be like that.”

 

After starting at MVHS, McCahill initially worried about the pronunciation of her students’ names. Because Asians make up a high percentage of the MVHS demographic, McCahill wasn’t sure she could correctly pronounce the names of all her students and their parents. But once she saw the “faces and personalities” of her students, the name association and pronunciations came easily. 

 

McCahill says she leads a busy life toggling between teaching and her family of seven, including her husband, two children and five pets — three cats and two dogs. The combination of having a lively home and a good work life balance has prompted her excitement for the coming school year. 

 

“I love teaching — I like creating my lessons and presenting and having fun in the classroom,” McCahill said. “I love the people that I work with. The staff are super nice and welcoming and supportive … altogether it’s a very positive environment, so I enjoy coming to work."