Ms. Greig is a well-known teacher at Santa Barbara High School who extends her bubbly attitude and wonderful spirit to her students. An English language learner, SBCC English 110, and an online Spanish level 1 teacher, Ms. Greig truly does it all. She creates a comforting environment for all students, while effectively sharing her knowledge on the subjects she teaches.

Ms. Greig started teaching after she had her daughter at 30, which was, in her words, “Late. Most teachers start earlier.” She instantly felt a strong connection to teaching young people the moment she started teaching, saying, “[My students] don’t know it, but they get me through some tough personal times in my own life. The sense of humor of adolescence actually has gotten me through some tough times like a divorce, calling off a marriage with a fiancé, teaching abroad, raising my daughter by myself, etc.” Ms Greig added “Always coming to school somehow lightened up my own life.” 

If you have had Ms. Greig as a teacher, you’re probably fairly aware of her passionately vegan lifestyle. “It’s really simple. I know too much about what really happens when those animals end up on our plates, and I can’t get those pictures out of my mind.” She added it affects her emotionally and says she can eat well without causing animals to suffer. Ms. Greig finds it very important to inform her students of the effects non-vegans have on the environment while teaching English.

Ms. Greig brings a warm energy to her class every day and creatively makes learning fun, especially for energetic students who find it hard to focus in class. She makes sure to take daily breaks during class, such as a walk around the senior lawn in order to release any built-up energy students have in the classroom. This is an extremely necessary activity for students who work hard every day with little to no breaks. 

Originally planning to be a youth advocate before teaching, Ms. Greig viewed being an attorney for youth as her second career choice. Her first, of course, was being a backup dancer for Beyoncé. Ms. Greig truly epitomizes how all teachers should be treating the 90 minutes we have in class. She easily incorporates fun into instruction and exemplifies how school is supposed to be.

Ms. Greig poses for a picture in Mexico City. [Image Courtesy of Alexandra Greig.]