Kelly McMahon

Literature and History
VDA Teacher since 2024

Tell me a little about your personal and educational background.

I was born in Southern California to two East Coast transplants. The soundscape of my childhood includes traces of my mother’s Long Island accent as much as it features the sound of my father scraping old wax off his surf board. The bicoastal influence on my upbringing means that I have very specific ideas about what makes a great street taco as well as a good slice of pizza.

I grew up in the public school system of Capistrano Unified School District and graduated from Dana Hills High School. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Communications from Point Loma Nazarene University. Years later, I went back to school to earn my multiple subject teaching credential from California State University, Northridge. 

I had the honor of working for a local family as their private teacher and administrator for ten years. Once my students graduated from high school, I went back to school again to achieve my Master of Arts degree in American Studies from California State University, Fullerton. While at CSUF, my research focused on studying the complexities of American motherhood and the American family through a historical lens. I hope to one day continue this scholarship within a PhD program. 

When and why did you decide to become a teacher?

My love for teaching is rooted in my love for learning. As you can probably tell, I love being a student. Yet it was not until my freshman year in college that I figured out how to approach school as a student in the pursuit of learning and not just the pursuit of good grades. When I entered the workforce after college, I struggled to find a career path that made me feel as alive as I did in the classroom. It took me seven years of exploring before I realized I missed being an active participant in the process of learning. Teaching allowed me to re-engage with the classroom environment from a new angle. 

I love being a teacher as much as I love being a student. It is pure magic to witness my students make a cognitive connection, exhibit pure enthusiasm for a piece of literature, or integrate their learning across subject areas. I find immense joy in teaching. I hope to help my students foster a love for learning that will stay with them long after they have left my classroom. 

If you specialize in a particular subject area, why did you choose that specialty?

I love literature. There is so much power in a great book. Not only can books formatively shape a person, but throughout history books have often been instrumental tools in shaping a culture. 

There is a discipline to becoming a thoughtful reader. It is a discipline that must be modeled by a teacher, practiced by a student, and developed over time. I did not begin to truly develop this approach towards literature until I was enrolled in AP Literature my senior year of high school. It was like discovering a treasure map hidden by the author between the lines printed on the page. Suddenly, I was able to identify a deeper level of meaning with the text. It is a valuable skill that I have applied far beyond any literature class, and it is one of the greatest gifts I can give to my students. I am thrilled to be teaching at VanDamme Academy, where students can begin to learn and develop this skill far earlier than I did.  

Do you have any favorite stories about your teaching experience?

When I began my job as a private teacher for two students within a homeschool setting, the oldest student loathed reading. She was in sixth grade and had no problem with the mechanics of reading, but she found it to be beyond boring. Unfortunately for her, reading literature was a large part of the curriculum. She had to do it, whether she liked it or not. So, I decided to begin by modeling my own love of reading. I committed to sitting down with her every day at the end of the school day, I would read for fun while she read her assigned chapters for homework.

The next day, as we discussed her assigned reading in class, I would model my own enthusiasm for the piece of literature we were studying. I would pause on passages I found to be particularly beautiful. I would articulate connections I made or questions I had throughout our reading. I would actively engage and analyze the text as we discussed it, marveling at certain characters and dissecting the intended message of the author. Slowly, I taught her how to be a disciplined and thoughtful reader. Overtime, my student began to apply these skills on her own as she read. Slowly, I saw her get excited to read the next chapter of a book and eager to discuss what had happened in it. Her writing assignments about the books we were reading became more passionate and engaged. She began making connections between the books we were reading and other subjects we were studying. I watched her fall in love with literature. 

By seventh grade, she was happily reading on her own. I will never forget watching her pure shock and deep dismay as she read through the pivotal last scenes of Romeo and Juliet. She was so immersed within the text. I remember staring in awe as I witnessed this Elizabethan play imprint itself on the heart of this modern day girl, forever influencing how she would understand elements of the human experience and her relationship to the world. It is moments like this that make my heart sing as a teacher. 

What brought you to VanDamme Academy?

I first came to VanDamme Academy as a parent. My daughter has attended this school since kindergarten. Over the years, my appreciation for the school has only grown. It is such a wonderful community to be a part of, and I am excited to be a teacher as well as a parent at the school. 

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I love to read and spend time with my family and friends. As a family of three, we love to play tennis together, get cozy and watch movies, and go on long beach walks with our dogs. We also love to travel. I have been to all 50 states!