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Faculty Friday: Emma Eddy

Each school year, the faculty at Nichols School provide tremendous guidance and encouragement to help their students learn and grow. Our faculty members are empowered to craft the curriculum as they see fit, to make learning relevant and rewarding for every child.
 
The Faculty Friday series shines the spotlight on the outstanding teachers of Nichols School, digs into the work they do to support our students and our community, and showcases a different side of these familiar faces.

Emma Eddy joined the Middle School faculty this year teaching sixth grade English. This week on Faculty Friday, Miss Eddy shares her passion for English and the language arts, how she helps young students discover the joy of reading and writing, and more.
 
How long have you taught prior to joining Nichols School?
 
I am just beginning my fourteenth year of teaching - my sonnet year of teaching in a way!
 
How did you discover you wanted to teach English?
 
To quote Mr. Darcy, “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”  

My family has always loved reading, and my parents have always nurtured and encouraged reading and supported my writing. Both of my parents are excellent readers, always admiring and appreciating the power and beauty of language.

I have heard other teachers describe our profession as a calling, and I wholeheartedly agree. Like so many things, I think teaching chooses you, but you love it - you have to love it. I have been so fortunate to have had passionate, kind, and supportive teachers as a child and as an adult. They inspired me to share a love of writing, literature, and language arts with others. 

How have you shaped your teaching philosophy during your time in the classroom?
 
One of my dearest wishes is that each child in my classroom believes in themselves and that they matter. Every student has gifts to share, and it is an honor to help students recognize, care for, and develop their gifts; reach their dreams; and “follow their bliss” (Joseph Campbell). I try to return to differentiated instruction as a compass to my teaching. Studying differentiated instruction was one of the most influential educational experiences of my teaching. Teachings and philosophies of Jonathan Kozol and Mr. Rogers have also continued to guide me in my teaching and pedagogical lens. 

How do you help students discover the joy of reading and writing?
 
Reading and writing are both journeys. Both are portals to our own souls and other worlds, and it is critical that we nurture the students as they explore new worlds and genres and find that book or that genre that they love to read. That one book can be a key to a lifelong love of reading and writing. When we consider characters as people and friends, we empathetically immerse ourselves in other journeys and worlds, learning even more about ourselves and our own world. I feel very honored to be a part of the students’ journeys where they are truly beginning to know themselves as readers and writers - what they like to read and what they like to write.
 
What areas of study are you most passionate about?
 
I am passionate about helping students establish a strong and abiding foundation of language arts. I love teaching grammar, which is a code and puzzle all its own - the “Do Re Mi” of language arts. A solid understanding of grammar and foundational skills can help students feel confident to enthusiastically develop their language and writing.

Many of our works in sixth grade focus on journeys of the protagonists. I believe it can be really powerful to discuss the significance of the journey and the importance of understanding our journeys and appreciating the journeys of others to help understand the human experience. “New Literacies” has also often been incorporated into my lessons, helping us to further explore various texts: novels, songs, poems, films, and more.

My hope for my students is that they love learning and can find our studies and exploration relevant and meaningful whether our texts be classic or contemporary. Most especially, I hope that at the heart of our studies is an invitation towards social justice.
 
Why do you enjoy teaching?
 
I love teaching. My students inspire me daily, and they help me to understand better what it means to be human. I learn from my students each and every day, and I can say with certainty that the future is very bright when I observe my students. They are young people of character who think with their hearts.   
 
What do you like most about Nichols School so far?
 
The people make Nichols so very special. Each and every member of the Nichols School community has been so kind and welcoming, from holding doors to helping me find my way. I love coming to school each day and am learning so much from my students and colleagues. 
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Nichols School is a nationally recognized college preparatory coed independent school with a 130-year history.