This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Dog lover, baker and “Friends” fanatic Amy Speer spends her time listening to Steve Miller and cooking for her mother. In high school, Speer took part in her school’s musical theater performances and loved being on the stage. Growing up in Quincy, Massachusetts, surrounded by historical architecture, she has always been interested in history and politics, which fueled her decision to become a teacher.
What did you do over the summer?
This summer I moved from Florida. I’ve been teaching for the last 15 years in Florida, and my son just graduated high school and went off to college. I spent the summer moving, selling my home, moving my son into college and finding this wonderful job.
What are some things you enjoy doing?
I spend time with my dog.
I love to train and walk him. I’ve always been a runner, and I would say that running is very important to me. I’ve coached cross country, boys and girls, at two different schools. It’s the best. I love baking. I love to make cookies and send them to my son at college, just little care packages. I cook dinner every night. I love to do Mediterranean-style cooking because it’s so healthy.
Who was your role model growing up?
I have an uncle that I’ve always really respected.
He was very involved in local politics, not a politician himself, but he ran campaigns. He went on to run campaigns for a couple of presidents, actually. I respected his work ethic, his sense of humor and his dedication to his principles.
Did you like social studies when you were in high school?
My favorite teacher I ever had was also a social studies teacher, and I always loved the topic. I just always loved politics, history and government, and it always resonated with me. Growing up [in the Boston area], you’re just so immersed in history. I feel like you don’t have a choice but to love history if you live here because it’s just around you everywhere. The idea that I would be a teacher was never on my radar.
I went back to school in my forties to become a teacher, and history was exactly what I knew I wanted to teach.
What’s your favorite family tradition or holiday?
My mother was Jewish and my father was Catholic, so when we were born, we were baptized, we were not raised Jewish. My grandparents, because they were Jewish, couldn’t celebrate Christmas, of course. So my grandmother put up a little Christmas tree, she called it a Hanukkah bush, and on Christmas Eve, presents would arrive from who she called “Kosher Kris Kringle.” It was not part of her culture, but she did that for us. Kosher Kris Kringle became part of our family.
What’s your comfort show?
My comfort show is “Friends.” All of my friends and my people know that’s one of my go-to things because the show is important to me. I love Rachel. I love the way that she moves to the city and finds herself. She finds herself in fashion, and that’s such a beautiful thing, that you don’t have to be a PhD, like Ross. You don’t have to be the expert chef. You can find your thing, and it’s fashion for her. I just love that. Teaching high school,
I love watching kids come into the 9th grade and go out in the 12th grade and see them find themselves through that process.
