Standing at just 5 feet 4 inches, Hoffman, who teaches English and
journalism, is more reminiscent of a jackrabbit than a Jedi Master.
Regardless, she has a difficult time keeping her inner Star Wars geek
bottled up inside her small, athletic frame. Hoffman’s obsession is
even present in her curriculum.
“When I think of her class, I always remember our ‘Jedi Induction’
assignment,” said Abbie Clarke, 18, one of Hoffman’s several
protégés. “I love that she told us to ‘just write.’ Teachers rarely
give that opportunity anymore and I thought that was great.”
While some students dislike her tangential storytelling and no-
nonsense expectations, most connect well with Hoffman’s sarcastic,
“play as hard as you work” mentality.
In fact, according to ratemyteacher.com, Hoffman received a perfect
five out of five average rating.
“Kendra is very student centered, down to earth and fun,” said
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School guidance counselor Jeff Blizzard, 46.
“I think she absolutely makes a connection with her students,
specifically those within the extracurricular activities that she does.”
In addition to teaching English and journalism, Hoffman is a coach
for the girls track team. Until just last year, she was also the
faculty sponsor of the school’s two student newspapers.
“It’s a unique relationship with my girls, who I call my
‘Tracklings,’” said Hoffman. “One minute I’m being their tough coach,
and the next minute I have to play mom. But most of all, I feel like
this proud older sister when my girls are having a great moment.”
Hoffman tries to maintain a friendly relationship with each of her
favorite students and “Tracklings” from years past. Often, Hoffman
can be found dining with these select few.
“Once I have a student, they’re a student for life, especially if
they want to stay in touch,” said Hoffman. “I’m honored to play the
role of mentor.”
Studying fields such as communications, journalism, and education,
her apprentices cite Hoffman as their major influence.
“She's the reason I'm going into Secondary English Education,” said
Clarke. “I'll always remember how much she helped me grow as both a
student and a person. She helped me realize a lot about what I want
to do as a teacher, and she also helped me overcome a lot of personal
obstacles as well.”
Clarke was not the only student who Hoffman helped overcome personal
challenges. During the spring of 2009, Hoffman helped Dougherty’s
through the pain of losing her aunt to cancer.
“When my aunt died, I came to school that next day and I was just
sitting there with a blank stare on my face, and she wouldn’t let me
leave the room,” said Dougherty. “She was like, no you have to come
over here now, because she knew something was wrong. I didn’t want to
talk but she made me.”
Stories such as Dougherty’s are not uncommon; Hoffman aims to take a
personal interest in each and every one of her students.
“As a teacher, she doesn’t let you slip through the cracks,” said
Blizzard. “When her students aren’t doing well, it affects her
personally. It’s refreshing to see and I enjoy working with her.”
Born in the Scranton, PA area to parents Barb and Ken Atkinson,
Hoffman was the second of two children. Hoffman’s family is a focal
point of many of her digressive stories.
Currently working on a master’s degree in English Writing from West
Chester University of Pennsylvania, Hoffman holds bachelor’s degrees
in English and secondary education from Lebanon Valley College.
Earning a GPA of 3.62, Hoffman was named to the 2002 Middle Atlantic
Conferences All-Academic Team for softball during her senior year at
Lebanon Valley College, according to the MAC’s website.
Hoffman has been teaching at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School since
the 2006-2007 school year. Hoffman dreams of one day teaching at the
college level.
"I wouldn’t mind being an adjunct at the college level someday,” said
Hoffman. “But what I really want to do is be published as a fiction
writer.”
When not teaching or coaching, Hoffman escapes to her mountain house
in the Poconos, where she enjoys snowboarding in the winter, and
wakeboarding in the summer.
Last year, Kendra married Christopher Hoffman, 34, effectively
changing her nickname from “Ack” to “Hoff.”
Though some former students find the transition difficult, Hoffman
has fully embraced the name change. Now hanging among her classroom
decorations, which include Bruce Springsteen posters, Phillies
jerseys, and Star Wars memorabilia, is a shirt adorned by David
Hasselhoff’s face and the caption “Don’t hassle the Hoff.”
No matter what name she goes by, Hoffman will continue to be an
inspiring mentor for generations of students to come.
“We like to check in with each other and see how things are going,”
said Clarke. “She still gives me tidbits of advice for college. She's
definitely the kind of mentor I want to keep in my life.”
Matthieu Drotar is a 2009 graduate of PW and Journalism student at
the University of Maryland |
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