Kate Dente ’25 | Grace Holland ’25
Q: Did you always want to be a teacher?
A: “No, but I did get the idea in high school. I actually tried to become a teacher right after I graduated from college, but I didn’t have any experience, so I couldn’t get hired. Then, I spent 11 years in a series of unsatisfying jobs before I went back to graduate school and got my first teaching job when I was 33.
Q: What made you want to teach English?
A: “I loved reading English, which really goes back to my tenth grade English teacher. In the class, I read Alice in Wonderland and all these other great books. My teacher would say these provocative things that made the books seem exciting and that’s where I got the idea of wanting to teach English.”
Q: What has been your favorite part about teaching at EA?
A: “First and foremost, the students. I also love the energy, questions, excitement, hopefulness, playfulness, skepticism, and not taking things at face value. I think that it’s really fun to do different things with students from teaching a class to participating in drum circles to visiting a remote African village with eight students. I think that seeing students in different contexts has been really fun.”
Q: What are your hobbies outside of school?
A: “As a musician, I try to play gigs as often as possible. I love hiking and walking to the middle-of-nowhere, and cooking. I’m a huge soccer fan and love to watch games on TV and attend games.”
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you have learned during your time teaching at EA?
A: “Be honest, so students can see that you’re real and if they want to open up to you for one reason or another, it gives them permission to do that and opens up the conversation.”
Q: Why do you think teaching became the job that you loved?
A: “Some of my first jobs were very solitary. I had one job where I was just entering data into a computer. I had another job with construction which I actually enjoyed, but that work involved mixing cement or plaster where I was working alone. I wanted to work in a collaborative format. I wanted to perform with music on the stage. Steve Martin, who taught for a while, said, ‘Teaching was a kind of show business.’ Performing in front of a class, trying to spark interest, and interacting with students shows that you know who they are. I thought teaching would not only create valuable interactions, but also include a performance aspect.”
Q: Do you have any final words of advice for EA students?
A: “When you’re open to new things, life becomes a lot more interesting. If you open yourself up to people, even those who you think are “not cool” or don’t share your common interests, there are much more interesting things than at first glance. You’re missing that when you close yourself off and make judgments.”
Photo courtesy of EA Communications