TTC
Teacher Training Center
Teacher Training Residency
TTC Apprentices 2023-24
Meet our 2023-24 Teacher Training Center Cohort. If interested, please contact Kristen Skinner.
CAROLINE BOSTON: During my time at Shady Hill, I am proud of the strong relationships I was able to build with my students. I firmly believe that effective teaching stems from a deep understanding of each student's unique qualities. My experience has been instrumental in honing my collaborative skills, as I actively engage with colleagues, parents, and students to figure out how to meet each student’s needs.
Post-graduation from the TTC program, my goal is to continue working with middle school students. I am enthusiastic about joining a community where I can actively participate through mentoring, after-school programming, affinity groups, and continuous professional and personal development.
KAYLA BURGESS: My year as a Shady Hill Apprentice has been fully immersive, giving me experience with all aspects of teaching. I have been able to collaborate with my mentor teachers on teaching and creating lessons and units, communicating with families, and building equitable classroom environments. I love that as an apprentice I am a valued member of the Shady Hill community. I feel eager to take my rich experiences to my own classroom after I graduate and am hoping to teach with a curriculum that merges my passions for math and science education.
KIM MORRELL: This year, I pursued my M.Ed from Lesley University and my Massachusetts teaching license while also doing a year-long residency at Shady Hill. The year-long practicum at Shady Hill has given me a depth of experience in all aspects of being an invaluable teacher. I apprenticed in both second and fourth grade. While serving as an apprentice in second grade, I supported students in small literacy groups focusing on phonemic awareness and phonics rules; taught Illustrative math; writing; and assisted with focused identity work. In fourth grade, I taught Illustrative math and focused on Greek Mythology as a theme for teaching writing, social studies, and literacy/reading comprehension skills.
After graduation, I am hoping to teach elementary school in Western Massachusetts or southern Vermont. Although I feel comfortable teaching any group, my passion is with the older elementary students, grades IV-VI. I enjoy helping students get the most out of their education, and to help them learn about themselves and how to interact with each other along the way. Community orientation and a social justice lens informal all of my teaching. I am grateful for my time at Shady Hill, and looking forward to what is next!
KATIE O'BRIEN: This year, I served as an Apprentice Teacher in grades two and four while pursuing my M.Ed. in elementary education from Lesley University and Massachusetts teaching certification in grades I-VI. As a second-grade apprentice, I taught writing and literacy skills, led small reading groups, conducted small math intervention groups, and incorporated mindfulness activities into the curriculum. In fourth grade, I taught poetry, math, and Greek Mythology curriculum. Additionally, I assisted with the middle school musical, Into the Woods, worked with the director and music director, and blocked scenes with small groups of students. I am extremely grateful for this year of learning and teaching!
I am hoping to teach grades I-VI in a school in the Boston area after I graduate, and I am comfortable and passionate about teaching any of these elementary grades. I am committed to teaching with social justice and anti-racist philosophies. Additionally, helping students navigate their mental health, feel more safe in the classroom, and creating a kind and inclusive classroom environment is important to me. I also have a passion for music and theater and am interested in incorporating the arts into my curriculum and working with students in creative ways.
OLIVIA PRIMEAUX: At Shady Hill, I have been working as an apprentice teacher in a seventh and eighth grade math classroom. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and have appreciated seeing two different teaching styles while covering the same content. The seventh and eighth grade math teachers center their teaching philosophy around the Liljedahl method layed out in his book Building Thinking Classroom. I love this style of teaching that encourages student discovery and ownership over their own learning.
After graduating from the SHS TTC I would like to have my own classroom teaching middle school mathematics. I would love to be able to combine my interest in math and academic experience in anthropology to find ways to make math relevant to my students.
ALEXZANDRA ROMAN: I am finishing up a year as an Urban Teaching Fellow Apprentice teaching Humanities in sixth and eighth grade. In sixth grade, I taught under the Central Subject of Africa. I deliver lessons in racial literacy, grammar mechanics, and reading comprehension. Additionally, I have joined the Shady Hill community through Admissions and their afterschool program, gaining skills and experiences in a variety of student-facing programs.
After my apprenticeship I hope to enter the classroom in sixth or eighth grade, in the Cambridge and surrounding areas. Content wise, I’m eager to teach Ethnic Studies or Humanities and am comfortable with culturally relevant curriculum. My teaching philosophy prioritizes my student’s humanity in the classroom, making room for skill development, silliness, and wonder.
EARL SIMONS: Through the TTC program at the Shady Hill school, I have learned to cultivate and evolve my teaching philosophy that best reflects my values as a teacher and the needs of my students. As a practicing teacher, I have learned to observe, adapt, and advocate for my students’ educational future. Through my experiences, the biggest lesson that I have learned about myself is that I can support those who need it most when I can connect with them through levels of consideration as well as compassion. After I graduate, I aspire to teach classes in history, English, or humanities while giving students the necessary tools and skills to succeed not only in the classroom but when they navigate this ever-changing world as well.
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