:
Annalisa Tester ’10: Annalisa Tester ’10: Annalisa Tester ’10: Annalisa Tester ’10: An What is your job?
doubt that I will continue to use them as resources as my
I am currently enrolled in the
career develops.
Collaborative Internship Program
However, the best advice I received from my favorite college
between Lesley University and
professor, Adam Howard, was to always be a student despite
Buckingham Browne and Nichols
your title of “teacher” or educator. Adam made me realize the
School in Cambridge, MA. I am a
importance of continuing to learn about topics that interest
full-time fifth-grade assistant
you outside the classroom, to remember what it is like to be
teacher in a prep school very
a student learning something new, and to remember the
similar to Breck, and am in
feeling of falling in love with learning. I think this is great
graduate school at Lesley Univer-
advice for those interested in a teaching career: find some-
sity earning a masters in elementary education and a MA
thing you truly love learning about and continue your study
licensure K-6. I will complete my degree next spring.
of it and it will impact and improve your ability to be a
What do you like about it?
successful teacher. During college, I led backpacking trips
While I had offers to teach as a full time-teacher with my own classroom, I chose the Collaborative program because it best suited my desire to work with mentor teachers and gain as much information as I could both about myself as an educator and the students I want to work with, before becoming a lead teacher with my own classroom. As a 22year-old, I am open with my professors at Lesley and my mentors at BB&N about how I want to develop professionally, and am able to transition from a student to teacher with the support that is necessary to be successful. Taking classes concurrently gives me the opportunity to put theory into practice on a daily basis, see what works and what doesn’t, and reflect on and make changes to my own teaching
one summer for eleven- and twelve-year-olds, studied multicultural issues in Denmark, and was a successful college athlete. None of these experiences was in a “traditional” classroom setting, but I learned about the developmental stages of eleven- and twelve-year-olds, cultural traditions and creating a culturally inclusive classroom, and how early educational experiences stay with college-aged kids and adults. I am so grateful for all of the experiences that have shown me that a classroom extends far beyond four walls and a single teacher.
Anyone (or anything) at Breck especially influential in helping you prepare? So many! I am constantly thinking back to my experiences
methods.
and classes at Breck, whether it is learning about a style of
Of course, the highlight of every day is watching my
teaching math, a favorite book from Lower School, or the
relationships with the students grow, seeing their excite-
relationships I hope to have with my students that mimic
ment over planting radishes in science or reading their
those I had with my own Breck teachers. Mrs. (Alice) Wright
“hopes and dreams” during Writers Workshop! The exhaus-
instilled in me a love of learning in first grade that carried
tion at the end of the day is so worthwhile and is a reminder
through to the dynamic duo of Mr. (Evan) Jones and Mr.
that the community I am surrounded by is focused solely on
(Rick) Miller in Middle School and to the countless teachers
creating the best learning environment for the students and
in Upper School who impacted my own educational path.
a supportive one for faculty.
I channel my inner Ms. Roessler when asking the difficult
What advice would you give a current student interested in a teaching career? Stay connected to past teachers and professors, and reach out to Breck alums. Throughout college, I tried to stay in touch with previous teachers when returning home to MN on breaks or through e-mail. I also would e-mail or get in touch with alums who were working in organizations or fields of education that I was interested in. Additionally, I used my college professors at Colby for help in finding summer jobs and making post-grad plans, and have no
questions of my students, Mr. Crow’s humor in creating an open dialogue with students outside of class, Ms. J’s incredible organization, and Ms. Gentry’s unmatched energy. Simply put, I am a teacher today because of the outstanding and dedicated teachers I had throughout my twelve years at Breck, and the support of my family and faculty at Colby.
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