g
n i
t a
r Celeb ding Teachers
u Meet O t Three sta Star n Teachers in the DMV
BY JENNIFER MARINO WALTERS
O ver the past two years, teachers have gone
above and beyond for their students.

During the first part of the COVID-19
pandemic, they proved their adaptability by
juggling virtual, in-person and hybrid learning.

After schools fully reopened, they’ve helped
students readjust to being in the classroom.

This month, during Teacher Appreciation
Week, May 2-6, it’s time to celebrate and
recognize teachers for their service and
dedication. Meet some of the outstanding
educators who serve the DMV.

Dr. Monica Isquith
Subject Expert Teacher:
Spanish | BASIS Independent
McLean Dr. Monica Isquith has been a teacher in
Northern Virginia for 20 years. She’s spent
the past six of them at BASIS Independent
McLean. She teaches middle school science and
high school honors biology, and her students
have a passing rate of 100% on the AP exams.

Isquith serves as the sponsor for the Hispanic
Honors Society and the Biology Club. She
started the girls’ middle school basketball team
and the co-ed volleyball and tennis teams. She’s
taken students on four trips to the Galapagos
Islands for an interactive Spanish and science
learning experience.

What do you love most about being
a teacher?
I love the amazing energy the students have
and the impact I can make on their lives.

The most rewarding part is to see students
getting excited about learning. But what I love
most is the interaction with the students—to
know them and work hard to inspire them.

What is one of your biggest goals
as a teacher?
My biggest goal is that students feel safe in my
12 Washington FAMILY MAY 2022
Pearl Brown and Hannah Chick
Co-Teachers, Middle School
Classroom | Oneness-Family
Montessori School
Dr. Monica Isquith - BASIS Independent
McLean Pearl Brown applies her scientifically trained
mind—she earned a bachelor’s degree in
chemistry—and poetry-writing heart to
provide versatile teaching and mentoring to
Oneness-Family middle school students. She
is known to use, by turns, power, tenderness,
pressure and patience in the classroom.

Prior to joining Oneness-Family in 2009,
Hannah Chick was the dean of students in the
middle school at the Thornton Friends School
in Silver Spring, as well as a middle school and
high school science teacher. While at the school,
she developed a three-year integrated middle
school science program with an environmental
focus. A biology major in college, she teaches all
subjects at Oneness-Family.

classroom—that they are able to participate
and share their ideas without being judged. If
they feel safe, they will learn and enjoy being at
school. I hope my students gain confidence and
determination and that they feel the passion I
have for what I teach and are able to apply it
to themselves. When you treat your students What do you love most about
with love, learning gets easier for them, and teaching?
Brown: I love the positive impact that I have
you receive love back.

on each of my students. I love getting to know
What was your funniest teaching
what they like and don’t like and what makes
moment? them laugh. The most rewarding part of
There have been a lot in 20 years, but a really
teaching is guiding students to honor, respect
sweet and funny moment was when we
and love themselves—to say yes to their
dissected a brain. One of my students yelled
strengths and welcome the lessons learned
out, “This is the best moment of my entire
from their weaknesses.

life!” I know this student will have moments
Chick: I love teaching in a multi-age classroom
that are more amazing in her life, but on that
because I cherish the relationships I develop
day, I made her have the best day of her life!
with students over my three years with them.

How can parents work with teachers Especially in middle school, so much change and
growth happens over three years. I get to be a
to best support their children?
Parents should focus on the learning part and part of their journey of growing and discovering
the student’s experiences at school, not just themselves. It’s incredibly rewarding to help
on the grade. Always ask your child to tell you students stretch beyond their comfort zone
something they learned in school that day. academically, socially and personally and to
see the sense of accomplishment, pride and
Even if there is no answer, never stop asking.




APPLE & DESK: ROMOLOTAVANI/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS; GLOBE & BOOK DRAWINGS: DISCAN/DIGITALVISION VECTORS; TEACHER PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SCHOOLS
Pearl Brown (far left) and Hannah Chick (far right) with their
students at Oneness-Family Montessori
confidence they exude when they mistakes with resiliency, grace,
surpass their expectations of and a deeper knowledge of their
personhood. their abilities.

Chick: I hope that the students
What is your teaching
I work with grow in their
approach? Brown: My approach is to teach confidence in their capacity to
students to think through an meet challenges, their ability to
assignment. The most important advocate for themselves, their
skill in learning is not that you capacity for self-reflection and
got the “right” answer, but that their willingness to seek out
you can explain the reasoning novel experiences that push them
that led you to the answer you beyond their comfort zone.

got. That helps students develop
confidence in their reasoning and
analytical skills, which helps them
better handle their academic and
personal challenges.

Chick: I tend to lean into
understanding the big picture
and recognizing
patterns over encouraging students to
memorize information.

What is one of your
biggest goals as a
teacher? Brown: My hope is that after
my students have left my class
they will have confidence in their
abilities to think and reason and
to explain their work, that they
will love and honor the person
they are becoming, that they will
always affirm their goodness and
that they will recover from their
How can parents work
with teachers to best
support their children?
Brown: Understand that the
child we see and interact with at
school may not be the same child
they see at home. Therefore, it
is important that teachers and
parents form a team in which
consistent communication flows
easily and honestly. Parents
should love and accept their
children as the whole person they
are. Too often parents act like
grades define their child’s success
or failure, and that is simply not
true. The goal of education should
be to educate the whole child,
not just isolated academic parts
of the child.

Chick: Communicate! If there
are things going on at home that
are out of the normal routine,
send an email so teachers have
a heads up. Trust that your
child’s teacher has his or her
best interest at heart. If your
child tells you that something is
going on in class that surprises
you, reach out and ask questions.

Make it a family routine to talk
about the things they do in class
each week. T
Montessori School
of McLean
Where Authentic Montessori
Meets the 21st Century:
Ages 2-12
Cultivating each child’s unique ability to flourish in
mind, body and spirit
ENRICHMENTS • Science • Technology • Spanish • Outdoor Classroom
• Library • Music • Drama • Art • Physical Education
Extended Day • Transportation • Summer Camp
1711 Kirby Road
McLean, VA 22101
703-790-1049 Accredited by
www.mcleanmontessori.org WashingtonFAMILY.com 13