我的教育之旅多少有些偶然. 大学毕业后，我想去中国旅游，但缺乏资金. So, I went to Taiwan as a volunteer English teacher with the intention of tutoring and saving money for a Great Wall of China adventure. 然而，生活总有办法把我们引向意想不到的道路. What initially began as a way to support a travel hobby turned into a lifelong commitment to learning. 我清楚地认识到，教育才是我需要的.

 

 

There's a profound realization I had during my childhood in Iran that has stayed with me. 伊斯兰革命时期, 上国际学校对我们来说变得不安全了, 所以我们的课程是在人们家里举行的. 我们的老师保护着我们，我清楚地记得有一位老师，他叫杨先生. 巴拉格，他真的挡在我们和潜在危险之间. It was in that moment that I knew one thing: I wanted to be like a Mr. Barlag. 现在, 几十年后, I’ve come to understand that protecting a child is not just a matter of shielding her from bullets. 最终, protecting children means ensuring that they are given options that allow them to believe in their own self-worth and to discover the path that will help them realize their true potential. Whether I was studying economics or considering careers in journalism or pediatrics, 保护儿童各种选择的愿望始终如一. I walked through the doors of a school 27 years ago, and never looked back. 

 

 

我不会把老师分为“好”或“坏”.”而不是, I believe a teacher is someone who can truly see and hear a child and recognize their possibilities. 这是关于理解和培养每个孩子的潜力. A great teacher is someone who strives to continually guide and support children, 帮助他们成长，发现他们想成为什么样的人.

 

 

Middle school, the age group of 11 to 13, is a time of profound transition. It's when children are discovering who they are and who they want to become. It is a time that is at once joyous and uncertain, filled with bravado and vulnerability. 每天都是挑战, 但是当你仔细观察时, 也有那些小小的胜利时刻. 这些都是中学时代的独特时刻. 

 

 

希普利在我心中占有特殊的地位. I used to see the School from my Bryn Mawr College dormitory across the street and often wondered what was behind its doors. When I learned about the opportunity to lead 皮普's Middle School, it felt like a homecoming. 皮普的座右铭, "Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing,“与我保护儿童选择权的使命产生了深刻的共鸣.

 

 

最让我兴奋的是了解学生. 在这几周里, 我听过孩子们讲述他们家族的历史故事, 用英语写一篇题为“This I Believe”的文章, 阅读他们对拉丁语《冰球突破豪华版游戏》的诠释. I’ve heard them cheer excitedly during Assembly over what “price is right.” From time to time, there is heaviness in our world; their sheer joy is uplifting.

 

 

最近我在非洲待了六年, 让我印象深刻的是作为一个孩子的普遍性, 无论文化背景如何. 孩子们有着共同的希望、梦想和弱点. It's a reminder that, at our core, there is something that unites us all.

 

 

我曾经在泰国公主面前跳过舞. 我一直很喜欢跳舞, and that moment was one of my first choreography attempts; I was 8 years old! People might also be surprised to learn that my husband and I enjoy riding a Harley!  

 

 

我丈夫和我都喜欢旅行. Traveling allows us to embrace the beauty of the unexpected and the joy of being lost in new environments. One of my favorite things to do anytime I go to any country is to head to the local market and eat what the people eat there, 即使它看起来很, 和我习惯的任何东西都不一样.

 

 

《冰球突破豪华版游戏》. 这是一部由奥黛丽·赫本和格里高利·派克主演的经典电影.The movie tells the beautiful story of a princess who experiences life as a commoner for a day and, 最后, 选择责任而不是爱情. 不管这部电影我看了多少遍, 我还在纠结什么是幸福结局. There's a part of me that believes the princess did the right thing by prioritizing her duty to her country over her love. However, there's also that nagging thought that maybe she should have chosen love instead. Then, as a teacher, I can't help but think, can you not find a compromise? 有很多可能的结局, 我不太确定什么是“幸福结局”,“但我绝对喜欢这部电影. 而且它在罗马，世界上我最喜欢的城市之一!