Claire Collins ‘23 | Rachel Lederman ‘24
Eight new faculty members have joined the Upper School this year. These new faculty members include US English Teacher Anna Safford, US Religion Teacher Mike Sheehan, US History Teacher Jerold Wright, US Physics Teacher Sergio Montano, US English Teacher Ash Shah, US Psychologist Caroline Graham, and US Learning Specialist Courtney Wisniewski. Each spoke to the Scholium recently to provide insight as to why they ultimately chose EA and how their backgrounds prepared them for their respective teaching positions.
Courtesy of Gianna Trala ‘23
Montano, a new member of the EA community, attended Haverford College where he worked as a teacher’s assistant. This will be his first official teaching job, but he states that, “I have already felt like I have so many people checking in on me which has been helpful for learning how to be in a classroom and improve as a teacher in my first year.” Physics 1 student Daniel Demessie ‘24 feels, “Mr. Montano is a great new addition to the EA teaching staff. He is very clear when teaching Physics concepts, and he is patient when students are stuck or confused.” Montano mentions that if you are ever struggling with Physics, want to learn about his astrophysics research, or share a love of rock climbing, swing by the science office and introduce yourself to him!
A Philadelphia native, Shah “triple-majored in English, European History, and Government, and attended graduate school at Middlebury and the University of Pennsylvania.” He resumed his teaching in his home state after taking a break from the educational field for a couple of years.
Graham, an expert in the mental health field, has previously worked in psychiatric hospitals, residential schools, and private practices, but has always wanted to work in a school environment. When the psychologist position became available at EA, she felt it was “the perfect way to bridge mental health with my love of being in a big community, especially at a school with such a great reputation.”
Safford completed her graduate degree in Boston, and started her teaching career at various Philadelphia colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson University. Shelby Pasternack ‘24, who is a part of Safford’s World Literature class, describes Safford’s teaching style,“It is extremely productive, as she has the perfect balance of lectures and activities.” Pasternack continues, “she is understanding and accommodating, creating the most welcoming classroom environment.” Safford looks forward to learning from her colleagues and says how she has “already learned so much from her bright, committed, engaged students.”
Like Safford, Sheehan is excited to be working with EA students. He spent the last twelve years teaching at an all girls school in Wilmington, DE where [he] taught Philosophy and World Religion. As he steps into his role of religion teacher at EA, he recognizes that “the World Religions course is an awesome opportunity for students to engage with ways of thinking that they aren’t familiar with, and it is my hope to leverage that experience to my students’ benefit.”
Wright, a graduate of Brown University, is enjoying his first year as a teacher thus far and explains how he wants his students “to aim high and challenge themselves to become the best they can be, hopefully leaving his class with a new sense of curiosity and the skills to pursue their passions.”
Regardless of the subject they teach, these three teachers have one thing in common: all are EA alums who want to provide the same exceptional experience to future generations that they received during their time at EA.
Each of these faculty members strives to contribute new teaching objectives and ideas to EA’s curriculum. “I hope to bring my college-level teaching experiences to my assessment and lesson planning. I am also committed to implementing inclusive teaching practices, both in terms of pedagogy and in the course texts I’ve selected,” shares Safford. Sheehan’s states, “The goal for my students is to empower them to become independent, critical thinkers. It is my hope that I will be able to use the curriculum to expand my students’ worldviews.” Similarly, Wright’s History class is focused on expanding his students’ perspectives. In his four Physics 1 classes, Montano wants to “make Physics appealing to everyone, not just those who excel in Math.” For his freshman classes, most of Shah’s teaching will be “skill-based to make sure they’re in shape for Upper School level writing.” Graham “really want[s] the psychologist team to feel like a safe place that you can come to whenever.” Her goal is to “normalize talking, sharing, and getting support.”