Discovering a passion for democratic schools

I became a teacher through an alternative program without any formal training. After five years in the classroom, I still lacked a firm understanding of the mechanics or philosophy of teaching. I needed an education in education.

Penn GSE was the perfect place for me to explore my questions, my interests, and my passions because I could not help but be exposed to new schools of thought on a regular basis. Since it is a relatively small school, it was easy for me to build relationships with students and faculty across programs. Even though I had previously served as a math teacher — and at one point worked on a National Science Foundation-backed research project with Professor Janine Remillard examining trends in algebra curriculum — when I developed an interest in democratic schools, the faculty were there to push my curiosity.

For my dissertation research, I studied these schools, which make it their central mission to prepare children to become engaged citizens in democracy. I examined how these schools try to place the learner at the center of the classroom experience. After I graduated from Penn GSE, that dissertation research led to a job offer at my current school, where I put many of the approaches I learned at Penn GSE into practice.

Penn GSE is a place that follows its students’ interests and creates opportunities and experiences based on what those interests are.