Each month, the school board chooses a staff member to highlight and celebrate at their meeting. This month's staff person is listed below. 

What made you want to be a teacher?

So many things. I loved school and still love learning. I am learning right now how to foster this attitude in young people. I have always wanted to help students who are different feel celebrated and capable. I am a writer, and get so much joy from reading and writing novels and poetry. I hope to pass on the love of the written word to my students so that our world can continue to be filled with great discussion and great art. I want to teach young people about the world and how to find their voice; that way they can share their visions and make vital improvements to our current systems.

What brought you to Twinfield?

I had heard that central Vermont is a magical place. I jumped on the opportunity to live rurally for the first time in my life, and to get to know the quirky, resilient, and welcoming community that Twinfield serves.

What are you most excited about what’s happened in your classroom this year?

We had two really memorable moments that I’d consider highlights of the year. We learned about economics and how things can get wonky with supply, demand, and inflation. We learned these lessons firsthand by simulating an economy with Skittles! We also did an interview project where 6th graders interviewed an adult who inspired them and shared their interview with the class. We were very lucky to have some of the interviewees come in and share their wisdom. It was awesome! We have another project coming up soon that I’m pretty excited about (stay tuned). Overall, students have grappled with some pretty complex texts and engaged in some really thoughtful conversations. We are building a culture of creative writing, and every day choosing more responsible and mature decisions at school. A lot of growth happens in 6th grade!

What do you think is the most important thing administrators can do to support teachers?

The way I would love for all schools to go is to start by acknowledging that being better is often achieved by doing less–and go from there. I believe that US culture causes us all to overwork. I also have found that achieving academic rigor is only possible when teachers are feeling balanced and demands on the students are right-sized. I would love to see staff come together to critically examine which values we are passing on because they were taught to us, and what new values could be adopted to respond to our quickly changing world. 

What’s your favorite part about being a teacher?

A few things. Young people are hilarious and I laugh and smile every day, which is a gift. I love when students ask questions that make me pause and often do research to answer. I love the opportunity to pivot. I love reading and talking about what we’re reading, and I feel lucky to witness students’ creativity, especially through writing. Facilitating QAF (Twinfield’s name for GSA) is an amazing privilege. Being in a room full of students who are exploring what it means to be themselves, who share common experiences, and are learning to support each other with wisdom and vision literally gives me life.