From Reluctant Student to Inspiring Teacher: Moira Bielby Finds Joy in the Classroom

Moira Bielby did not always plan to become a teacher.

As a child, Bielby had a hard time in school. She faced behavioral challenges and sometimes refused to attend. She went to two traditional high schools and a continuation school before leaving and passing the California High School Proficiency Exam.

But her education did not stop there.

Bielby went back to school, starting at Laney Community College and then transferring to UC Berkeley, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. She later earned a master’s degree in education from CSU East Bay. Before finding her passion for teaching, she also earned an associate degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

Bielby started teaching as an intern. At first, she thought it would be a short-term job before going back to college for a doctorate in English literature. Instead, she found where she truly belonged.

“It turns out that I love being a middle school teacher,” Bielby said.

Bielby has taught in Vallejo City Unified School District since 2006. She started at Vallejo Middle School, which she says will always be special to her. After the school closed, she worked at Vallejo High School, but soon realized she felt most at home in middle school.

In 2014, she joined Hogan Middle School, where she still teaches eighth-grade English language arts.

Bielby chose Hogan after hearing then-principal Jocelyn Hendrix speak at a board of Education meeting. She was impressed by her leadership. Knowing that several of her former Vallejo Middle School colleagues were also at Hogan made the school feel welcoming as she started her next chapter.

Throughout her career, Bielby has been inspired by the people who support Vallejo’s students. When she was a new teacher, colleagues welcomed her into their classrooms, explained how things worked, and helped her grow as an educator.

“I was and am inspired by the deep roots of the Vallejo community and the interwoven layers of support for our students,” Bielby said.

She sees that support all over Vallejo, from schools and nonprofits to local churches, successful Vallejo natives, and everyday community members.

Today, Bielby aims to make her classroom a place where students feel safe taking risks, facing challenges, and finding joy in learning.

“As an eighth-grade teacher, I want my students to feel like our classroom is a safe space to engage in the productive struggle that is so essential to growth,” she said.

She wants her students to know they can take responsibility for themselves and their work, but also that help is there when they need it. She hopes they see literature as a way to reflect and find inspiration for their own lives.

Most of all, she wants students to see the value in their own ideas and experiences.

“I want them to know that their voices matter and the world needs them in positions of power and influence,” Bielby said.

Her own experiences as a student help her connect with young people who may not yet feel confident as readers or writers. She especially enjoys helping reluctant writers see that writing is not something to fear. Instead, it can be a source of strength.

“The written word changes hearts, minds, and the world,” she said. “They can use their words to change their worlds.”

Bielby sees a lot of strength, openness, and resilience in Vallejo’s students. Some of her former students have gone on to do great things, and every year she meets young people who could become lawyers, scientists, writers, doctors, teachers, politicians, or community leaders.

“Our students just need the right opportunities, access, and support,” she said. “They will live deeply happy, influential lives.”

That belief is what keeps teaching joyful for Bielby. On the first morning of the new school year, she woke up thinking, “I get to go to work today!”

For educators considering joining VCUSD, Bielby describes it as a supportive community with many opportunities to grow professionally, become leaders, and enjoy working with Vallejo’s students every day.

“You will find so much joy in every day with our students,” she said.