Interview with Ms. Teske

By Casidhe Madsen ’23

I am excited to be given the privilege of introducing our new Head of Upper School, Ms. Teske. In my article, I will share how she came into education, what she enjoys doing and what she feels she is bringing to her new role here at Hebron Academy. While interviewing, Ms. Teske was very kind and open to answering my questions. I would like to add that based on my experience with her, I would say that if you ever need anything, Ms. Teske is the person to go to!

As I mentioned before, Elizabeth Teske is the Director of the Upper School. She was born and raised in New Jersey. She has a 14-year-old son named Liam. She described Liam as a very smart and kind young man. She says that her strengths are being very detail-oriented and she finds that she can make good connections with people. She also believes that she is the kind of person who can also see the whole picture. Two words that she used to describe her strengths were that she is caring and open. She noted that some of her weaknesses can be over-working but just a little too much.

Ms.Teske started teaching right out of college. She knew she wanted to have a job in education because her senior year of college she loved working as a peer tutor. She graduated college with a degree in Chemistry. In her early years, she thought she might want a job in genetics, but later decided to come to Hebron Academy because she fell in love with the feeling of community she found here. She also enjoys talking to all of the students and other faculty here at Hebron.

In her free time, Ms. Teske enjoys crafting, baking, and knitting. She also loves to go for hikes and walks. When I asked her what three words her students would use to describe her she proudly stated that they would say she is helpful, kind and sometimes a little strict. I also asked her what three words her colleagues would use to describe her and she stated that they would use the same three words: helpful, kind and sometimes a little strict.

Ms. Teske's favorite place to be is her couch. She said she loves to be cuddled up on the couch with a good book and some tea. She also said that she doesn't mind some conversation while she is cuddled up on the couch. When I was wrapping up this interview, I asked her: who is your hero and why? She was so stuck on this question that she asked if she could email me later, which she did. In her email, she said her heroes are the early female scientists, “who often ‘managed' their husbands' laboratories or who had to sneak into lecture halls or who were otherwise overlooked when they came up with original ideas. Science is such a rich field and the idea that anyone couldn't do science or couldn't find space at the table for science was awful. So, kudos to science pioneers!”

I really enjoyed my time getting to know more about Ms. Teske and her role here at Hebron Academy. I hope that you have enjoyed learning a bit more about her work and her personal life.