Student Life
Bayside's Joyful Science Teacher BY COLT HANCOCK '26, Staff Reporter Mrs. Elizabeth Peters, Bayside’s ninth grade biology
local boys how to play the cello. It didn’t click with her that
learning something new, so it's never boring to me because
and eleventh and twelfth grade
she wanted to be a teacher until
literally every day we're
environmental science teacher,
she came back to the US and
discovering something that I
is loved for her energetic spirit
secured a spot on a substitute
can use in the classroom. And I
and boundless energy. When
teacher list. She would
love freshmen because they are
asked how she is so happy and
eventually complete a master’s
bananas.”
energetic even at the end of
degree in education. Mrs. Peters
long days, Mrs. Peters said,
first taught at Advent Episcopal
looks up to primatologist and
“being happy is my favorite;
School in Birmingham. Prior to
anthropologist Jane Goodall.
smiling is my favorite… there
that, she taught in community
"Jane Goodall is probably the
are so many people in this world
education in Jamaica. “I was
end all be all… She defied a lot of
who have not been given as
working with vulnerable groups
expectations about women for
much… I just feel like it's a really
of individuals susceptible to
her time.”
big waste of time to be
infectious diseases (such as HIV)
negative.”
and educating them on how to
Peters and the impact she has
reduce transmission.”
made on the Bayside
When asked if she has always wanted to be a teacher, she
Mrs. Peters says that science
shared, “That was never an
is, “the king of all subjects...
aspiration. I wanted, and I still
because it combines skills from
want to be, a National
all disciplines. You have to be
Geographic photographer and
good at math… communicating
go to some… amazing places.”
your ideas… analyzing data and
Before going to college, she
interpreting abstract ideas
thought she would go into
through models which are often
medicine as her mother did. She
artistic in nature, and you have
eventually realized this was not
to enjoy reading.”
what she wanted to do and
Mrs. Peters shared that she
We are grateful for Mrs.
community.
Mrs. Peters works tirelessly
ended up getting her
to prepare lessons and labs for
undergraduate degree in cello
her classes. Once, she poured
performance before going into
52 different cups of liquid for a
public health with a
ninth grade biology lab. “I hate
concentration in epidemiology
doing that. But... it's worth it if
and international health and
everybody gets to experience
global studies. This led her to
something.” She shared that she
spend six months in Uganda,
loves to teach 9th grade
where she taught nursing
“because it is challenging
students and volunteered at a
enough to where it's
local music school, teaching
interesting… We're always
Mrs. Peters poses with paper DNA strands. [C. Hancock]
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