Teaching the art of
Learning
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HOBANA RAM is not only a skilled teacher, but she is also an accomplished performing artist. Melding her two passions, the students in her class benefit from her expertise with young children as well as from her experience as a singer and a classically trained Indian dancer. “I love teaching second grade,” states Shobana Ram, “The children are at the stage where they come in with gems of knowledge about the outside world. They are hungry to learn and so extraordinarily curious to know more. By second grade they have the skills to understand the world and to make meaningful connections. My role as a teacher is to continue to inspire them to explore. At the same time I can bring my commitment to the arts to my children and Dalton encourages me to do so.” Born in southern India, Ms. Ram attended New York City public schools, graduated from The University of Virginia, and then received a Master’s degree in International Educational Development from Teacher’s College at
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here are so many great things about being a kindergarten teacher at Dalton!” says DEBBIE REILLY, one of Dalton’s five kindergarten teachers. “We have an amazing group of families who have chosen Dalton because they believe in and respect the philosophy and values of the school. Then, there are the children! Kindergartners are old enough to ask really wonderful questions that lead us to unexpected places, but they are also young enough to be in awe of and positive about the world around them. Their insatiable curiosity takes us to increasingly deeper levels of inquiry and learning. Everything is food for thought as they wonder about things that are very real in their lives and society. My job is to create the environment to facilitate these inquiries and encourage growth. The work of problem solving, collaboration, making connections, understanding math concepts, communicating through
speaking and writing, takes place every day in every activity we do.”
Columbia University. Having worked at the Ford Foundation, Ms. Ram decided to change her career path from implementing policy to teaching, thereby creating a grassroots opportunity to work personally with children and families. “I was drawn to Dalton for its deep commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and social justice. As a first generation immigrant
myself, I can bring personal experiences to my students and help to make our conversations about different cultures and awareness of stereotypes more real to them. It is very important to me, as well as to Dalton, that they learn how to be inclusive community members and understand that forming relationships with all different kinds of people enhances us all.”
Teaching was a career change for Ms. Reilly, who received her Bachelor’s degree from Hunter College, her Master’s degree from Bank Street College, and has been a faculty member at Dalton for over two decades. After selecting Dalton for her own four year old daughter many years ago, she experienced Dalton first-hand and decided to leave the corporate world, attend graduate school, and become a teacher. “I love teaching here. Dalton does for its faculty what it does for its students; it encourages us to follow our passions, and bring this excitement into our classrooms. It’s a dynamic school that respects the individuality, autonomy, and creativity of students and teachers alike while it also focuses on creating a successful community in each house, each division, and school-wide.”
