FACULTY MINUTE
Faculty Minute with Annie Keel BY MARIA BUTEUX READE
Annie Keel arrived at Trinity-Pawling in 2010 with her husband, Dutch, and their two toddler daughters, Elizabeth and Georgia. After several years at an all girls school in New Jersey, the Keels made a smooth transition into the realm of boys’ education. Annie took the first few years to raise her girls before returning to the classroom in 2014 as a teacher in the LEAD program. Trained as a biology teacher with a strong focus on research, Annie now serves as chair of the science department.
How has the LEAD program impacted your teaching? Roberta Lidl P’10 runs a highly collaborative department infused with positive energy as people bounce ideas off each other. We constantly assess what works and how we can do things better. I intend to bring that same approach to my work with my science colleagues. Teaching in the LEAD program made me more cognizant of the range of learning styles at Trinity-Pawling.
What’s it been like to raise your two daughters in an all boys community? The girls just see the boys as a natural extension of their family. It’s pretty amazing for a young girl to grow up and not feel intimidated by 300 teenage boys. Elizabeth and Georgia will give fist bumps and look the boys right in the eye. They’re completely confident and comfortable with them. What a gift!
Plans for the science department?
Parting thought?
I would love to bring more speakers to campus to offer science-based presentations and to get more students to conferences off campus. I want our students and faculty to be informed of current scientific issues so they see science as relevant and applicable to real world situations, not just resigned to a textbook.
The more we as faculty give of ourselves, the richer the community becomes. These boys have a lot of people caring and looking out for them.
FALL 2017 15