From DJ to Talk-Show Host, Ms. Tuli Tackles Teaching

Mariana Flores, Reporter

Here’s a fun fact about new English teacher, Ms. Isabelle Tuli – she used to have her own radio show.  “It started off as an alternative music show and then turned into a talk show.” When Ms. Tuli was at the UofA, she used to DJ.  “We’d play alternative music like Pixies, Sonic Youth, post-punk, and new wave.”  Even she finds this odd, since she claims her biggest fear was public speaking, something she does every day in her new position as an English teacher.

One of Ms. Tuli’s favorite hobbies is reading; however, she can never seem to find the time to open up a book, although her favorite read is “The Goldfinch”, which has been adapted into a movie that is soon to be released. As a first year English teacher, she is focusing on getting her students to pay attention to her new lesson plans. Ms. Tuli graduated a mere 5 years ago from Desert Vista High School in Tempe.  Her boyfriend jokes with her that she “seems very stressed.”  Not unusual for a first-year teacher.  “I lucked out and got a lot of funny kids, but they’re pushing boundaries and I’m trying to set them,” she explains. She definitely appreciates humor.  Her radio show ended up as a talk show.  She and a friend were co-hosts and would talk about whatever they felt like.  “It was a joke show.  Friends would call in and do characters and pretend to be other people.”  However, she never thought of it as a career option, just more of a hobby.  Originally from Maryland, Ms. Tuli took a course at the University of Arizona to major in English; she then went on to get her Master’s through the Teach Arizona program at the U of A.

Ms. Tuli student taught at University High School where she thought she would end up teaching; however she is glad to be at Sahuaro. Before the funding fell through at University High School for Ms. Tuli, she thought about going to Phoenix to teach, but another teacher informed her about Sahuaro where there were a lot of great students and motivation. Ms. Tuli loves working at Sahuaro, and she loves the students that she teaches.