We’ve noticed that Bridget has been a rockstar community member in recent weeks. She started an engaging conversation about music in the classroom, asked a great question about reciprocal accountability, and shared photos of an end-of-year letter-writing activity she conducted this spring. We wanted you to have a chance to learn more about what got her to where she is today, the work she does, and what she’s passionate about – so we had Kristen Fraine, our Community Coordinator and fellow teacher, interview her.
Here’s a look at an interview we did with Bridget so you all can get to know why we think she’s awesome:
Kristen: Tell us a bit about where you teach…
Bridget: I’m a 4th and 5th grade Reading, ELA, Spelling and Writing teacher at the Hill Elementary School in Revere, MA. Revere is a progressive, highly diverse district just north of Boston. The Hill school is a k-5 school with just over 700 students.
Kristen: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Bridget: Technically my puppy, but it’s definitely the love of my job. I am so happy to see my 4th and 5th graders. Two days during the week I have an open classroom in the morning before school so the children can come in and hang out with their friends and we can spend more time together. We are able to work on relationships, homework anything and everything that they need. I feel that by the students feeling cared for and more supported they actually have a better chance of improving their scores.
Kristen: What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional?
Bridget: I would say getting my Ed.D this past fall. Also, I spoke at an Educator Showcase for the 5DP and it helped me with my fear of public speaking. The 5DP is a collaboration between the five districts of Revere, Chelsea, Malden, Winthrop and Everett. We have a lot of movement between our districts with our students and this allows us to have a better understanding of what is happening in our neighboring districts.
Kristen: What are your biggest professional challenges?
Bridget: For me, trying to not bring the job home with me all of the time. I feel that all teachers think about their students, projects, and lesson planning all the time. I will never fully stop doing this, but I need to make sure that I am being a well-rounded person and making time for family, friends, fun and work.
Kristen: What advice would you give to a first year teacher?
Bridget: Ask for help. There will always be people in the school who are willing to help and who would love to. Be sure to observe and listen. College doesn’t teach you everything and every lesson is not always a success. 13 years in and I am constantly changing and evolving to help my students.
Kristen: Given a chance, who would you like to be for a day?
Bridget: I think I would actually like to be one of my students. I would love to see my class from their eyes. I would want to see how a child feels. Am I that teacher I really want to be? Am I meeting the needs of all my students? They are hard hitting questions but I feel that I would be able to grow and develop so much.
Kristen: Ok, now just for fun, tell us…
- Celebrity Crush: This is kind of weird, but Sean Connery. It’s the voice.
- Last Book You Read: Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon. This book really hit me. This book brings to light what the family goes through including how they feel, cope, deal and overcome. A MUST READ.
- Last PD You Attended: Mindfulness, it was AMAZING! It was from the Teacher Collaborative. Big shout out to them.
- Favorite Line From a Film or Book: From The Shawshank Redemption: “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” I always try to teach my students that we need to have hope. With hope we can keep going.
- If Your Students Imitated You, They’d Say: “Oy vey”, or “ You can’t keep that smile in, let it out!”
- And to end on controversy… Cat Person or Dog Person: Dog, no conversation needed.
Thank you, Bridget!
Now, we’d love to get to know you better as well. Come show us how awesome you are and join the community to share a bit about you!
We look forward to choosing the next Spotlight Teacher. The Spotlight Teacher receives a $25 gift card as a token of thanks from the TeachersConnect team for their meaningful contributions to the community. Next time it could be you! Keep up the great work.
