Plenty of teachers become students outside of Edison, taking classes of all kinds that prove learning never stops and can be done throughout your whole life. Looking into the classes that can be taken after a workday or on weekends can allow us to see what classes are available to even the busiest of people. Though you may find it hard to believe, yes, teachers DO have “actual lives” outside of school.
Dr. Margaret Savitzky teaches the Medical Assisting shop, which she was able to start due to her qualifications as a chiropractor before becoming a science teacher.
“I saw that York College had sent me mail, Become a Medical Assistant in 15 weeks! So, I called and asked about the program because I didn’t want to over-teach. In the program I found I was relearning things that I had already learned, but didnt do in my daily practice as a chiropractor,” she said about her previously taken Medical Assisting class on Saturdays.
Dr. Savitzky has taken a range of classes, including some that help students open their eyes to understanding their teacher rights and gain more awareness of the world. Her favorite classes are those with entertaining teachers who supplement classes with interesting stories and she implements those techniques in her own classroom.
Photo Credit: Marilyn Ramos
Amy Bolender teaches music and is always finding ways to make her students more interested in her class. To do this, she also has taken classes outside of school. Bolender has been taking World Music Drumming, which she enjoys taking because it is different from most music, for the past six summers not only in New York, but also in Maryland and Wisconsin.
“I am always trying to incorporate new things in the classroom and my students love the hands on learning. I would get bored of just teaching the same thing! Learning more things just makes you happier,” said Bolender.
Even the busiest people have time for extended learning. With the availability of Saturday classes, as Dr. Savitzky took, and night classes there is always time to learn new things. Though it was “definitely harder to balance time with kids,” noted Bolender, she was able to find time over the summer to continue her education.
