In one way or another, all teachers impact students, playing an integral role not only in their education but in the coursebrof their lives. There are some teachers, though, who leave us with something more. We all remember that one teacher whobrwas always in our corner, always pushing for us to be the best we could be in all areas of life, taking a special interest in ourbrsuccess and creating a lasting bond. These are the teachers we recognize in our inaugural What’s Up? Teachers segment—brthe dedicated and galvanizing private school educators who are making a difference today for the leaders of tomorrow.br
Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.br
Degree: Master’s degree frombrMonterey Institute of InternationalbrStudies in International PolicybrStudies; various master’s levelbreducation courses
Years teaching: 10
Years teaching at current school: 2
Grades and subjects taught:brEnglish 10, English 11, English 12;brcoordinator of 21st Century Initiativebr(unique elective classes that studentsbrdesign based around their interests/brpassions)
Proudest teaching moment: One ofbrmy students didn’t make the NationalbrHonor Society cut because of hisbrlack of leadership experience. Afterbrhis initial disappointment, he and Ibrworked together to find a way to getbrmeaningful leadership experience.brHis idea was to teach a ballroombrdance class in the weeks leadingbrup to prom. The other faculty andbrI were skeptical (would the otherbrstudents laugh as he led the foxtrotbrto a hip-hop crowd?), but he wasbrpassionate about dance and thoughtbrit was something he could teach well.brHe made flyers, talked up his class,brand created a sign-up. Before webrknew it, the 12 slots were filled withbrcouples excited about learning somebrold-school dance moves. Each weeklybrclass was extremely well organized andbrshowcased a different ballroom dance;brhe even brought in top 40 hits tobrpractice to. It turned out to be one ofbrthe most popular activities the schoolbroffered. My proudest moment wasbrwhen this student came to me afterbrhis last dance class and said, “Oncebryou’ve been a leader, it’s really hard tobrgo back to being a follower.”
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence:brAcademic confidence is the singlebrbiggest factor in student success.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you working tobrovercome it? The biggest problembrin education today is a one-size-fits-all mentality. Everything isbrstandardized—at least in publicbrschools—and many teachers don’tbrhave the time or the leeway tobrchange the pace, presentation, orbreven material to suit individualbrstudents. Not everyone learns thebrsame way, in the same manner, andbryet we gauge success by how wellbrkids today conform to the samebrarbitrary measuring stick. Our goalbras educators has to be to recognizebrthe individual gifts of each of ourbrstudents and find ways to nurturebrthose gifts across whatever contentbrarea. Education is about cultivatingbrone’s passions and developing thebrskills to be a lifelong learner.
brbr“Amanda demonstrates an abiding sense about teenagers. She tapsbrinto their individual interests, values, and curiosities and usesbrthose attributes as propulsion for learning. She has implementedbrthe Wye River Upper School 21st Century curriculum, in additionbrto her responsibilities as an English teacher and department chair,brwhere she uses the same respect for her students to guide thembrthrough some very challenging and mature literature.”
Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.br
Amanda Priestley
brWYE RIVER UPPER SCHOOL, WYE MILLSDegree: Master’s degree frombrMonterey Institute of InternationalbrStudies in International PolicybrStudies; various master’s levelbreducation courses
Years teaching: 10
Years teaching at current school: 2
Grades and subjects taught:brEnglish 10, English 11, English 12;brcoordinator of 21st Century Initiativebr(unique elective classes that studentsbrdesign based around their interests/brpassions)
Proudest teaching moment: One ofbrmy students didn’t make the NationalbrHonor Society cut because of hisbrlack of leadership experience. Afterbrhis initial disappointment, he and Ibrworked together to find a way to getbrmeaningful leadership experience.brHis idea was to teach a ballroombrdance class in the weeks leadingbrup to prom. The other faculty andbrI were skeptical (would the otherbrstudents laugh as he led the foxtrotbrto a hip-hop crowd?), but he wasbrpassionate about dance and thoughtbrit was something he could teach well.brHe made flyers, talked up his class,brand created a sign-up. Before webrknew it, the 12 slots were filled withbrcouples excited about learning somebrold-school dance moves. Each weeklybrclass was extremely well organized andbrshowcased a different ballroom dance;brhe even brought in top 40 hits tobrpractice to. It turned out to be one ofbrthe most popular activities the schoolbroffered. My proudest moment wasbrwhen this student came to me afterbrhis last dance class and said, “Oncebryou’ve been a leader, it’s really hard tobrgo back to being a follower.”
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence:brAcademic confidence is the singlebrbiggest factor in student success.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you working tobrovercome it? The biggest problembrin education today is a one-size-fits-all mentality. Everything isbrstandardized—at least in publicbrschools—and many teachers don’tbrhave the time or the leeway tobrchange the pace, presentation, orbreven material to suit individualbrstudents. Not everyone learns thebrsame way, in the same manner, andbryet we gauge success by how wellbrkids today conform to the samebrarbitrary measuring stick. Our goalbras educators has to be to recognizebrthe individual gifts of each of ourbrstudents and find ways to nurturebrthose gifts across whatever contentbrarea. Education is about cultivatingbrone’s passions and developing thebrskills to be a lifelong learner.
brbr“Amanda demonstrates an abiding sense about teenagers. She tapsbrinto their individual interests, values, and curiosities and usesbrthose attributes as propulsion for learning. She has implementedbrthe Wye River Upper School 21st Century curriculum, in additionbrto her responsibilities as an English teacher and department chair,brwhere she uses the same respect for her students to guide thembrthrough some very challenging and mature literature.”
—Chrissy Aull, Executive Director of Wye River Upper School
Degree: Randolph-Macon College,brB.A. in Spanish; Towson University,brB.A. in Education
Years teaching: 14
Years teaching at current school: 9
Grades and subjects taught:brSpanish, preschool through eighthbrgrade; lacrosse coach
Proudest teaching moment: I find itbrquite gratifying when students returnbrto the school after graduating andbrthank me for preparing them well forbradvanced placement classes in highbrschool.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Ibrbelieve that empowering studentsbrwith a passion to learn is paramountbrto realizing their full potential.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you working tobrovercome it? The toughest challengebrin education today is keeping upbrwith the influence that technologybrand social media have on our youth.brThey are bombarded with so muchbrinformation constantly. Focusing onbrthe positive elements and integratingbrthat into the classroom is the mostbrconstructive way to address thebrchallenge.
brbr“Quite simply, as an educator and as a person, Betsey is a standout. She teaches Spanish to every child in our school, from our three year olds to our eighth graders—a remarkable testament to her depth, patience, and skill. Due to the strength of her program, most of our graduating eighth graders place out of Spanish I, and some out of Spanish II, when entering high school.” —Debbie Williams, Middle School Division Head at Kent School
Education degree: Lesley College
Years teaching: 22
Years teaching at current school: 17
Grades and subjectsbrtaught: Presently I am teachingbrkindergarten; second-, fourth-, andbrfifth-grade math
Proudest teaching moment: Thebrproudest teaching moment is whenbreverything finally clicks for a child. Itbris written all over their faces.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence:brHANDS ON HANDS ON HANDSbrON....children actively participatingbrin their learning.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I think one of thebrbiggest challenges facing today’sbrteachers is overcrowding and having tobrteach to a test. I’m really fortunate thatbrat Radcliffe Creek School, we have anbrextremely low student-to-teacher ratiobr(3 to 1) and we teach to mastery, notbrto a test.
brbr“With a background in elementary education and training in Montessori methodology, Dawn works every day with students facingbrlearning disabilities and always focuses on the child’s strengths, never their weaknesses, helping to build confidence and creating abrfoundation for a love of learning that will stay with these students for a lifetime. In the last year, Dawn brought to reality the school’s idea of creating a kindergarten program. Through innovative, hands-on teaching methods, she has turned our youngest students into children who love to learn.”
Betsey Hottel
brKENT SCHOOL, CHESTERTOWNDegree: Randolph-Macon College,brB.A. in Spanish; Towson University,brB.A. in Education
Years teaching: 14
Years teaching at current school: 9
Grades and subjects taught:brSpanish, preschool through eighthbrgrade; lacrosse coach
Proudest teaching moment: I find itbrquite gratifying when students returnbrto the school after graduating andbrthank me for preparing them well forbradvanced placement classes in highbrschool.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Ibrbelieve that empowering studentsbrwith a passion to learn is paramountbrto realizing their full potential.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you working tobrovercome it? The toughest challengebrin education today is keeping upbrwith the influence that technologybrand social media have on our youth.brThey are bombarded with so muchbrinformation constantly. Focusing onbrthe positive elements and integratingbrthat into the classroom is the mostbrconstructive way to address thebrchallenge.
brbr“Quite simply, as an educator and as a person, Betsey is a standout. She teaches Spanish to every child in our school, from our three year olds to our eighth graders—a remarkable testament to her depth, patience, and skill. Due to the strength of her program, most of our graduating eighth graders place out of Spanish I, and some out of Spanish II, when entering high school.” —Debbie Williams, Middle School Division Head at Kent School
Dawn Holmes
brRADCLIFFE CREEK SCHOOL, CHESTERTOWNEducation degree: Lesley College
Years teaching: 22
Years teaching at current school: 17
Grades and subjectsbrtaught: Presently I am teachingbrkindergarten; second-, fourth-, andbrfifth-grade math
Proudest teaching moment: Thebrproudest teaching moment is whenbreverything finally clicks for a child. Itbris written all over their faces.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence:brHANDS ON HANDS ON HANDSbrON....children actively participatingbrin their learning.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I think one of thebrbiggest challenges facing today’sbrteachers is overcrowding and having tobrteach to a test. I’m really fortunate thatbrat Radcliffe Creek School, we have anbrextremely low student-to-teacher ratiobr(3 to 1) and we teach to mastery, notbrto a test.
brbr“With a background in elementary education and training in Montessori methodology, Dawn works every day with students facingbrlearning disabilities and always focuses on the child’s strengths, never their weaknesses, helping to build confidence and creating abrfoundation for a love of learning that will stay with these students for a lifetime. In the last year, Dawn brought to reality the school’s idea of creating a kindergarten program. Through innovative, hands-on teaching methods, she has turned our youngest students into children who love to learn.”
—Molly Judge, Director of Radcliffe Creek School
Degree: B.A. English, WashingtonbrCollege
Years teaching: 15
Years teaching at current school: 12
Grades and subjects taught:brIntroduction to Literature (9th),brAmerican Literature (11th),brCreative Writing Workshop (12th),brEnglish Department Chair
Proudest teaching moment? Whenbrone of my students suffered a seriousbrtraumatic brain injury, he lost yearsbrof math and English skills. We spentbrmany afternoons reading and writingbrtogether, and we had to begin at thebrelementary school level. He’d oftenbrbecome exhausted after 10 or 15brminutes of work. Now, a year andbra half later, he is enrolled in regularbrmath and English classes. I ambrincredibly proud of his determinationbrand progress.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Ibrbelieve we are most successful asbrteachers when we encourage ourbrstudents to think critically andbrcreatively, and it’s important tobrremember that they’re still kids, andbrthey’ll make mistakes.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I am deeplybrconcerned about the issue of schoolbrsafety. Students have the right tobrlearn in a physically and intellectuallybrsafe environment. That should bebrsacrosanct. Teachers and schoolsbreverywhere have had to adapt andbrmake real changes in the wake ofbrsuch tragedies as Sandy Hook. Inbrthe classroom, I do my best to offerbrstudents a place where they feel safebrenough to take intellectual risks.brThat’s how they learn—and learn tobrfind their own voice. In the words ofbrmy mentor, who taught at Gunstonbrfor more than 30 years, our job asbrteachers is to “be the center of thebrraft” for our students.
brbr“Amanda is a gifted teacher, adviser, and poet. With a combinationbrof high standards and support, she inspires students to abrremarkable level of excellence in their writing and thinking, andbrshe models what she teaches through her own creative writing.brShe teaches a full load here and organizes our annual bookbrfestival, In Celebration of Books. In addition, she is a regionallybrand nationally recognized writer, and is the author of a poetrybrchapbook, Fractured Light, which won the 2010 Dogfish HeadbrPoetry Prize.”
Amanda Newell
brTHE GUNSTON SCHOOL, CENTREVILLEDegree: B.A. English, WashingtonbrCollege
Years teaching: 15
Years teaching at current school: 12
Grades and subjects taught:brIntroduction to Literature (9th),brAmerican Literature (11th),brCreative Writing Workshop (12th),brEnglish Department Chair
Proudest teaching moment? Whenbrone of my students suffered a seriousbrtraumatic brain injury, he lost yearsbrof math and English skills. We spentbrmany afternoons reading and writingbrtogether, and we had to begin at thebrelementary school level. He’d oftenbrbecome exhausted after 10 or 15brminutes of work. Now, a year andbra half later, he is enrolled in regularbrmath and English classes. I ambrincredibly proud of his determinationbrand progress.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Ibrbelieve we are most successful asbrteachers when we encourage ourbrstudents to think critically andbrcreatively, and it’s important tobrremember that they’re still kids, andbrthey’ll make mistakes.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I am deeplybrconcerned about the issue of schoolbrsafety. Students have the right tobrlearn in a physically and intellectuallybrsafe environment. That should bebrsacrosanct. Teachers and schoolsbreverywhere have had to adapt andbrmake real changes in the wake ofbrsuch tragedies as Sandy Hook. Inbrthe classroom, I do my best to offerbrstudents a place where they feel safebrenough to take intellectual risks.brThat’s how they learn—and learn tobrfind their own voice. In the words ofbrmy mentor, who taught at Gunstonbrfor more than 30 years, our job asbrteachers is to “be the center of thebrraft” for our students.
brbr“Amanda is a gifted teacher, adviser, and poet. With a combinationbrof high standards and support, she inspires students to abrremarkable level of excellence in their writing and thinking, andbrshe models what she teaches through her own creative writing.brShe teaches a full load here and organizes our annual bookbrfestival, In Celebration of Books. In addition, she is a regionallybrand nationally recognized writer, and is the author of a poetrybrchapbook, Fractured Light, which won the 2010 Dogfish HeadbrPoetry Prize.”
—John Lewis, Headmaster at The Gunston School
Education degree: TowsonbrUniversity
Years teaching: 36
Years teaching at current school: 18
Grades and subjects taught: High-brSchool sciences: EnvironmentalbrScience, Physics, and Chemistry;brGrowology Club advisorbr
Proudest teaching moment? Thisbrnomination is my proudest moment.br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Ibrstrive to teach my students to thebrbest of my ability the most I can inbrthe allotted time.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? In my opinion, thebrconstant advancement in technologybris the toughest challenge inbreducation today. It is like a double-edgebrsword as technology has itsbrgood and bad points. I will neverbrovercome these challenges, but Ibrdo try to keep up with the latestbrtechnology.br
br“An experienced teacher, Paula continually challenges herself within her craft, creating a curriculum and lessons that engage students in the learning process. From bay grass planting to stream walks, in-class demonstrations to active use of field trips and guest speakers, Paula uses the local environment as the most effective classroom for her students. She consistently excites her students, not only in learning about the environment, but also in making active decisions to become involved in the protection and maintenance of that environment.”
Paula Grimes
brSAINTS PETER AND PAUL HIGH SCHOOL, EASTONEducation degree: TowsonbrUniversity
Years teaching: 36
Years teaching at current school: 18
Grades and subjects taught: High-brSchool sciences: EnvironmentalbrScience, Physics, and Chemistry;brGrowology Club advisorbr
Proudest teaching moment? Thisbrnomination is my proudest moment.br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Ibrstrive to teach my students to thebrbest of my ability the most I can inbrthe allotted time.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? In my opinion, thebrconstant advancement in technologybris the toughest challenge inbreducation today. It is like a double-edgebrsword as technology has itsbrgood and bad points. I will neverbrovercome these challenges, but Ibrdo try to keep up with the latestbrtechnology.br
br“An experienced teacher, Paula continually challenges herself within her craft, creating a curriculum and lessons that engage students in the learning process. From bay grass planting to stream walks, in-class demonstrations to active use of field trips and guest speakers, Paula uses the local environment as the most effective classroom for her students. She consistently excites her students, not only in learning about the environment, but also in making active decisions to become involved in the protection and maintenance of that environment.”
—James Nemeth, Principal of Saints Peter and Paul High Schoolbr
Education degree: PensacolabrChristian Collegebr
Years teaching: 7br
Years teaching at current school: 7br
Grades and subjects taught:brFundamentals of Math (7th),brPre-Algebra (8th), Algebra Ibr(9th), Business Math (10th/11th),brAccounting (10th/11th), Yearbookbr(10-12th), Computer (2nd-8th),brArt (1st-6th)br
Proudest teaching moment: Mybrproudest moment is having a studentbrrealize the importance of theirbrsubject and mastering it. Throughbrtheir mastery, they gain a confidencebrthat stems from hard work. Thenbrto have that student later tell mebrthey appreciated what they learnedbrwhile in my class and how it hasbrhelped them to be successful inbrtheir current classes, that is verybrrewarding!br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Tobrcreate a desire to want to learnbrin my students by making theirbrmaterial understandable andbrrelevant, while doing all I can tobrensure every student is successfulbrnot only academically, but alsobrspiritually.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I feel the toughestbrchallenge is reaching a studentbrwith a different learning style orbrdisability. I will research differentbrteaching methods that have workedbrfor other educators in similarbrsituations while brainstorming withbrcolleagues to develop a style that isbrsuitable for that child, whether it bebrvisually or tactually.br
br“Anna Harrison is a dedicated teacher. Along with her dutiesbrin our high school, she is very concerned that we makebravailable elective classes to our elementary students and usesbrher free hours to offer extra computer, Spanish, and art classesbrto our elementary students. She also is involved in helpingbrChestertown Christian Academy maintain a positive communitybrpresence, whether it be helping with a Thanksgiving paradebrfloat or an Earth Day bench project in the park.”—Joseph Baugher,brAdministrator of Chestertown Christian Academy
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Anna Harrison
brCHESTERTOWN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, CHESTERTOWNbrEducation degree: PensacolabrChristian Collegebr
Years teaching: 7br
Years teaching at current school: 7br
Grades and subjects taught:brFundamentals of Math (7th),brPre-Algebra (8th), Algebra Ibr(9th), Business Math (10th/11th),brAccounting (10th/11th), Yearbookbr(10-12th), Computer (2nd-8th),brArt (1st-6th)br
Proudest teaching moment: Mybrproudest moment is having a studentbrrealize the importance of theirbrsubject and mastering it. Throughbrtheir mastery, they gain a confidencebrthat stems from hard work. Thenbrto have that student later tell mebrthey appreciated what they learnedbrwhile in my class and how it hasbrhelped them to be successful inbrtheir current classes, that is verybrrewarding!br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy in one sentence: Tobrcreate a desire to want to learnbrin my students by making theirbrmaterial understandable andbrrelevant, while doing all I can tobrensure every student is successfulbrnot only academically, but alsobrspiritually.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge in educationbrtoday and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I feel the toughestbrchallenge is reaching a studentbrwith a different learning style orbrdisability. I will research differentbrteaching methods that have workedbrfor other educators in similarbrsituations while brainstorming withbrcolleagues to develop a style that isbrsuitable for that child, whether it bebrvisually or tactually.br
br“Anna Harrison is a dedicated teacher. Along with her dutiesbrin our high school, she is very concerned that we makebravailable elective classes to our elementary students and usesbrher free hours to offer extra computer, Spanish, and art classesbrto our elementary students. She also is involved in helpingbrChestertown Christian Academy maintain a positive communitybrpresence, whether it be helping with a Thanksgiving paradebrfloat or an Earth Day bench project in the park.”—Joseph Baugher,brAdministrator of Chestertown Christian Academy
View What's Up? Teachers Annapolis
