The bell rings, signaling passing period.

The journey to the back of the 3000s gets more interesting, however, when “Confidence” by Demi Lovato floods from room 3400. As students arrive in the classroom, they are met with their teacher cheering for them to strut into the classroom. AP Literature and Composition, College Prep and Literature of Film teacher Colleen Lamb urges her students to start their day with courage, just as the song implies.

Lamb has worked as an English teacher for 27 years, first starting at Douglas County in 1997.

She challenges her students to top their work and bring a new understanding of the world to class, but despite her love for teaching, it wasn’t always her plan.

“When I graduated from college, I was determined not to be a teacher,” Lamb said. “I got an English degree and my advisor asked before I graduated if I wanted to to the teaching program, and I said, ‘There’s no way I would ever go back to a classroom.’”

However, her plans soon changed.

“I wanted to work in publishing,” Lamb said. “I went to school in the Midwest and there are a lot of publishers out there, so that was my plan. I didn’t get a job in publishing right away, but I did get a job at a college. Working with the college made me realize everything I enjoy about English happens primarily in the classroom. So, thankfully, the college had a teaching program, and I was able to do my post-grad work for free while I was working [there].”

With any job, Lamb’s relationship with teaching isn’t black-and-white. She admits to liking certain aspects of education more than others.

“What I really love is putting together [and] planning lessons,” Lamb said. “I like figuring out the organization, like the layout, slide decks and all of that visual part. I love teaching. I hate the grading.”

When she’s not watching horror and mystery movies, Lamb loves refurbishing, building and working with her hands.

“I love gardening,” Lamb said. “I like doing house projects. Over fall break, I refinished my deck and I have built a perennial garden in the front yard, so I like doing stuff like that.”

Just like talking about movies, reading books is one of Lamb’s favorite subjects. When asked for recommendations, she is readily prepared with a list of her current and overall reading picks.

“Last year, I started listing out books I was reading [outside my classroom],” Lamb said. “‘Who is Maud Dixon’ by Alexandra Andrews was a really good one, that got 12 out of 10 points. ‘This Tender Land’ by William Kent Kruger was [also] good.”

One of her favorite books offers more than just a fun read for her. “Matchmaking for Beginners” by Maddie Dawson had a quote that inspired one of her tattoos.

“The last line is, ‘Whatever happens, love that,” and that’s my tattoo,” Lamb said.