2 minute read
Learning How to Think and Learn
by Katherine Deschene
’08
Every day I come into work and am greeted by a desk covered with a collection of sticky notes in various shapes and colors. My checklists have checklists and my tasks are color-coded by priority. I often think back to what could have influenced my ability to organize because at one point, it was certainly not my forte. It is then that I remember a similar assortment of sticky notes found scattered throughout the well-read pages of many NGP-assigned books like Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm.
The supportive staff and unique structure of the NGP cultivated a sense of creativity and experimentation with various academic areas that I had never experienced before arriving at LA. This academic freedom was further nourished by the one-of-a-kind grading system that took the focus away from the traditional book learning that I was accustomed to, and taught me how to think outside the box.
Learning how to think and organize the “NGP way ” was not all I learned at Lawrence Academy. I also met an incredible family of teachers, mentors, peers, and teammates that has affected me far beyond my four years there. When I continued on to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, I found myself performing analyses and writing papers when other students were struggling. When peers started coming to me for advice, that was when I knew LA had set me up to succeed in my future academic endeavors.
When I enrolled at Bates, I stated that my intended undergraduate major would be a double major in economics and politics, with a minor in sociology. I soon had a mid-freshman year crisis and realized I was not pursuing my passion. I made sociology a priority, went back to my love of the French language, and chose to enroll myself in a class outside of those two subjects.
As the final semester of my freshman year approached, I enrolled in Education 101. I knew that I liked children, was patient, and thrived on creativity. I wanted to work with people and make a difference.
While in Education 101, I signed up for observation hours in a third grade classroom at a public school in Lewiston. As one of our mid-semester projects, we had an assignment: Interview a teacher who made an impact on us.
Instantly, I knew I would interview a teacher I had at LA. What made the decision difficult was that there were many incredible members of the faculty that had contributed to my growth.
After careful consideration, I chose to interview Doc Haman. He was one of the catalysts for my love of teaching. He showed me that both learning and teaching could be fun.
I graduated from Bates College in 2012 with degrees in French and Francophone studies, sociology, and teaching education with a certification in K-12 education. I am forever grateful for my experiences at LA and the lifelong love of learning that those years instilled in me.
