What is something that
teaching has taught you?
Sue Ann Salimbene
Teaching has taught me that I always need to
be flexibly minded. As teachers, we spend so
much time planning lessons and communi-
cating concepts. While this is necessary and
crucial to learning, we also need to be able
to pause and be prepared to tackle concepts
that come up spontaneously. Some of the
most beautiful learning moments that I have
witnessed have organically grown out of the
lessons presented.

Appreciating Sue Ann Salimbene
What is something that
teaching has taught you?
Seneca Academy, Darnestown
(Preschool- Extended Day 4s)
What do you enjoy most about
teaching? The thing I enjoy most about the children is
when they discover something on their own.

It kind of happens naturally. The lesson goes
where the [child’s] interest lies. A teacher is
kind of like a facilitator.

What is something that
teaching has taught you?
in mind. I thrived in environments and with
teachers that gave me an opportunity to
express my understanding of what we were
learning in multiple ways, where there wasn’t
just one “right” answer: I could write a paper,
create an artwork, verbally explain what I
understood and knew.

The Lab School allows me to differenti-
ate in my teaching to reach my students with
dyslexia, ADHD and other language based
learning differences in a way that is meaning-
ful to them. One of my favorite experiences
at Lab has been creating a museum exhibit
with my middle school students in the
Museum Club each school year.

Lisa Pawley
What made you want to be a
To be flexible. To take joy in the moment teacher?
I have learned to be curious rather than judg-
mental. I find myself asking more questions
to understand the reason why a student
reacted or behaved in a certain way rather
than jumping to a conclusion. I have learned
how to have restorative conversations with
my students; how to use hand gestures, facial
expressions and [utilize] speech intona-
tions to allow more connection and increase
engagement; to be mindful of my blind
spots and how to teach a culturally respon-
sive/relevant class encouraging research into
multiple viewpoints.

TEACHERS: COURTESY; APPLE: VECTORIG / DIGITALVISION VECTORS
you’re in. Children have a remarkable ability
to be in the moment that adults sometimes
forget. As a teacher, you’re thinking, ‘Oh, it’s
going to go this way.’ And they have a way of
looking at it in a totally different way, and you
say, ‘Wow, I never thought about that before.

You’re right!’
It began with one of my own children. I
observed my eldest child in preschool at 3,
and how she was challenged with a particu-
lar classroom structure. When we moved her
to a Montessori school a few weeks into the
school year, it was immediately evident how
she connected with the kinesthetic nature
of the learning environment. At the time,
What made you want to be a
I was teaching dance and directly related to
many aspects of Montessori education. Con-
teacher? When I was a little girl playing dress up, I cepts such as developing independence,
was always the teacher. I liked helping people. working with materials built from nat-
ural materials and a structured but free
exploratory environment all inspired me.

Sara Hawkins
Appreciating Lisa Pawley
Appreciating Sara Hawkins
Oneness-Family Montessori
School, Chevy Chase
The Lab School of
(Preschool - Ages 2 and 3)
Washington, Washington, DC.,
(Grades 5-8)
What do you enjoy most about
teaching? What do you enjoy most about
I have always enjoyed interacting with young
teaching? What made you want to be a
teacher? I was pretty negatively affected in my early
education by some teachers who seemed to
only focus on what I couldn’t do. Meanwhile,
teachers and coaches along the way who
saw my potential, who cared about me, who
saw me and who valued my special abilities
were the ones who changed my trajectory
people. It is amazing to witness the expan-
as they made me feel able and even gifted.

I grew
up learning
differently than
the other
sion of their minds as they learn and discover
students in my classes. I struggled in spaces I wanted to be THOSE teachers for other
new things.

and with teachers who only had one answer kids like me. P
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