Ms. Carlson is a new teacher here at Bancroft School. Today Eloise White and I interviewed her on what has brought her here.

We began the interview by asking about her perspective before coming to Bancroft and if it changed afterward.

Ms. Carlson mentioned that she grew up near Bancroft and that she had always wondered why people would go,

“It kind of surprised me that they would go, you know because I thought the public schools were really good. In hindsight didn’t know what I was missing” She goes on to state how those perceptions have changed since working here, even if it had been for a short amount of time. After working at a public school she decided on a whim that she was no longer satisfied with working in her district.

“So I was looking for other options. My impression of Bancroft is so different than what it was when I was a kid. I figured that out by looking at the website.” As Ms. Carlson continued reading she was delighted by the mention of, “Inquiry, and meeting student’s needs, where they were at! That spoke to me a lot as a teacher.”

She knew at that moment that it was time to go in for an interview. Originally she was looking for a spot in the middle school but after talking to the head of school, Mr. Taylor, they both came to the resolution that she would be a perfect fit for an upper school position.

“I think that before I came to Bancroft I thought that there was already an established culture here, that people have settled on. And since I joined Bancroft I have realized that this is a place that is actively trying to figure out its identity in real-time. At first, it was alarming…” I think that Eloise and I can also relate to that statement and the next. “…but then I realized it is actually really exciting!”

This led to a conversation about why she went into teaching. Ms. Carlson stated that originally she was not even a teacher. She then realized that she may not be the best fit for her other job and knew she wanted some spontaneity. She also loved learning new things. The result: Teaching. 

“That’s what drew me to teaching, what made me stay teaching is the relationship with the kids”

Teaching both English and Development of our Global World (history), Ms. Carlson was asked whether she preferred one over the other. She mentioned that both subjects had their pros and cons when teaching and that she loved them both for different reasons. 

Her main reason for loving the art of teaching English was that she felt like she could connect to her students more. “I get to know English students on a personal level, because of the nature of English literature, students tend to write about things having to do with their lives, and then I get to know them better.” She continues to explain how the connection with students is her main motivation and passion for teaching. Although, something she pointed out was that students tend to feel more stressed about whether or not they are doing “good enough” when it comes to this subject. Ms. Carlson states her belief, “I don’t think that the stress actually helps them do better,” as a drawback to the subject.

With History, Ms. Carlson enjoys teaching the subject because she feels she has more freedom in the classroom. She points out how the nature of a history class doesn’t feel as intense and that “the pressure’s off.”

Ultimately Ms. Carlson enjoys teaching both subjects and mentions that “Ideally, I would teach both in a humanities class, because I think that’s the best way for students to learn how the subjects connect.”