Erin Price, Class of 2012 - Community Service Leader and Educator with Purpose and Heart

I came to Clairbourn when I was three years old for JPK, but my older sister also attended Clairbourn, so I sat in on Chapel and visited my sister in her classroom before I formally attended school. I graduated from 8^th grade in 2012, and attended Flintridge Preparatory School. I graduated from Flintridge Prep in 2016, and attended Smith College in Northampton, MA. I graduated from Smith College on Sunday, May 17^th, 2020 with a degree in Psychology and Education & Child Study. 

I remember the time I spent with my friends and the teachers that made coming to school fun. Some of my most vivid memories are of participating in the Winnie the Pooh and Shakespeare plays. I wasn’t super comfortable on a stage, but Mr. and Mrs. Barker made being a part of the performances so much fun! I loved being able to hang out with my friends during rehearsals and backstage, and at our cast hangout at Islands restaurant at the end of the last show. No matter your role in the play, everyone worked together to put on the best performance.

 

I remember being in Mrs. Wreede’s class in second grade and greeting her dog [retired service dog] Troy everyday. I remember especially enjoying learning about the Titanic and visiting the Titanic museum on the Queen Mary. One of my favorite field trips was our fifth grade field trip on the Pilgrim ship at Dana Point. We spent the night on the ship, and we each had our own roles to fulfill. We were able to experience life on a 19^th century sailing ship: tying knots, scrubbing the deck, and standing watch at night. I remember rowing to shore acting as if we were about to collect hides to fulfill my role as a hide-gatherer. It was one of my favorite moments, and required us to work together. 

 

I also have fond memories of playing in the Jungle [the natural wooded area on campus] with my friends and playing sports after school. I especially loved attending volleyball camp in the summer and putting on the "Just Dance" game on the Wii when we had a break in the afternoon. 

During my time at Smith I was in the licensure program to teach in Massachusetts. Once I take my final test, I will receive my initial elementary teaching license for MA. In the fall, I will be co-teaching at an elementary school in Lawrence MA as part of a Co-Teaching Fellows program. Hopefully, I will continue to teach elementary school!

 

I received the Rita Wilkins Prize from the Jandon Center for Community Engagement for my leadership and involvement with community service. This year, I was the Chair of the Community Service Office board. I have been a part of the CSO since my first year of college and have been on the board since my second year. 

 

Involvement with community service was one of my priorities when entering college. It has kept me engaged and connected with the community outside the Smith bubble and has given me valuable leadership experience. On the board, I publicized community service opportunities and recruited Smith students to engage with the community. I organized projects with our community partners and led board meetings discussing goal setting, project process, and other community service related issues. In my different roles in the CSO, I have been involved with different short term projects such as working in urban gardens, collecting produce for local food banks, and organizing an annual winter gifts drive. 

I was a volunteer at an international school for English Language Learners and Refugees all four years at college as part of the CSO, where I mentored/tutored a different fifth grade student each year. I learned so much about working with English Language Learners, which influenced my decision to become a teacher. It was rewarding to see your mentee grow in, not only their academic skills, but their confidence as well. As a teacher, I will be working with a variety of students with different backgrounds and experiences, so it was important for me to understand the lives of children from different walks of life. Working with my students also taught me the importance of forming individual relationships with my students, to better connect with them and understand them.

 

I think it is important to be active and involved in your community and to listen, learn, and do what you can to support other people’s needs. I was able to meet so many amazing people in the surrounding communities and form so many friendships through my involvement with the CSO.

 

Some of my favorite academic memories include the Oregon Trail unit we did in third grade around the school. I had hip surgery and was on crutches, so I was still able to participate in the excursions and rode throughout the school on the model covered wagon. The Oregon trail unit was so much fun and so interactive that it really made history come alive. 

 

I remember participating in the Engineering Design Challenge, which taught me about the design process and how to be innovative. I also enjoyed taking electives in middle school. I was able to explore robotics, crochet, drama, and all different kinds of activities I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. Clairbourn helped me develop the study skills I needed to succeed in high school. I learned how to balance my academic work and extracurricular activities and use my study halls effectively. 

Do you still keep in touch with your classmates from Clairbourn?

 

I have managed to keep in touch with a few of my Clairbourn classmates through social media. While I don’t talk to them too often, I still periodically text a couple of my best friends from Clairbourn and have seen them periodically since graduating from Clairbourn. While I don’t talk to them every day, I am able to keep up with major life events.

 

I attended Flintridge Prep with a couple other Clairbourn classmates who I still see from time to time. In fact, I will be seeing one of my classmates in June for our friend’s social-distancing graduation hang out/drive-by celebration.

If you could go back in time to your Clairbourn days, what would you change about the school or do differently? What would you keep?

 

If I could go back in time, I would try to be more in the moment and make the most of every opportunity. I would keep all the wonderful memories I made with my friends!

What activities at Clairbourn helped influence your career in education?

During my time at Clairbourn, I don’t think I had any idea about what I wanted to do when I grew up. Looking back on it, I think some of the amazing teachers I had helped inspire me to become an educator. My kindergarten teacher Miss Gorge made coming to school so fun and enjoyable. She had lots of class pets, including three adorable bunnies. She was always so kind, warm and loving and is the kind of teacher I aspire to be. I remember Mrs. Knight, the librarian, who helped inspire my love of reading. The library was one of my favorite places because it was such a comfortable place to sit and read in. I specifically remember how my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Corwin, inspired my love of history by making class so engaging and interactive. Her classroom was always lively and fun and she was able to form really good individual relationships with her students. In my own classroom, I want it to be just as exciting, comfortable and interactive as my experience in Mrs. Corwin’s class.  

Going into college, I was not sure what I wanted to major in at all. However, in my senior year of high school, I applied to become a peer counselor and mentored a group of seventh-graders throughout the year. This was my first experience acting as a mentor, which I think is where the idea of working with kids started to come into my mind. In my first year of college, I took an Intro to American Education class and started tutoring/mentoring English Language Learners at an elementary school in Springfield. Working with my student in Springfield was challenging, but enjoyable, and solidified my desire to become a teacher. I declared my majors of Psychology and Education in my sophomore year, and decided to pursue licensure. 

 

Student teaching this past year has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences. I student taught at the Campus School of Smith College both semesters, first in fifth grade, then in second grade. I loved forming relationships with the kids, getting to know who they are both in and out of the classroom, and designing fun and interactive lessons. It was definitely challenging balancing student teaching with my regular classes, as well as learning how to write lesson plans, differentiate and shelter instruction for all different kinds of learners, and build confidence in the classroom. My experiences in the classroom this year have been the highlight of my time at Smith, and I’m excited to be co-teaching in the fall!

 

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, that’s how you learn! And it’s okay to not be sure about what you want to do and to change your mind. Be open to new experiences and perspectives. Also, it’s incredibly important to learn how to find a balance between your work and personal life. It was difficult my senior year of college to find time for myself or to hang out with my friends, and it feels like there’s a never ending to do list. It’s important to prioritize your own mental health, or you will burn out. Teaching can be exhausting and challenging, but it’s also incredibly fun and rewarding! 

I wish I knew that you don’t need everybody to like you; just be nice and be yourself. Also, you don’t have to be perfect at everything you try.