Alison Kelly

Swarthmore College

Breakthrough Teacher, Summer 2010 and Fall 2010

Hello, my name is Alison Kelly. I am originally from Baltimore, MD. Recently I graduated from Swarthmore College—a small liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia. I studied political science and educational studies.

My journey with Breakthrough Collaborative began last summer when I taught 7th grade Biology and a combined science and art elective course. I first heard about the program from a Swarthmore alumnus who is two years ahead of me. She knew that I was, at the time, thinking about being an education minor and recommended that I look into Breakthrough. As a naturally shy person, I was intimidated by the thought of teaching, but loved the idea of being an educator and working with middle school students so I took a chance, filled out the application, struggled through the intense interview and suddenly there I was--standing in front of a class of seventh graders acting out the functions of cell organelles and distinguishing the difference between living and nonliving organisms.

I can honestly say that what surprised me the most about teaching this summer was the dedication and hard work of the students. As a middle schooler, if anyone ever asked me to give up my summer to be in class I would have adamantly refused. Day after day these students worked hard.

Granted, a day did not pass without some struggles but I can honestly say that working for Breakthrough was the most challenging, yet most rewarding experiences I have ever had. While I slept minimally over the summer, I was always re-energized by the students, their interest and their excitement.

My family and my parents specifically have been very supportive of my work with Breakthrough and my ultimate decision to work in education post graduation.  Because my home is so close to Philly, I was fortunate enough to have my parents come to see me teach during visitors day over the summer. Having them there was amazing. I loved “showing off” my students who I gradually become more and more emotionally attached to as the weeks went on.  In fact, I still keep in touch with many of the students—one student even called me this year and asked me to help her with her Biology project. I was thrilled!

Not only did I form relationships with the students, but I also formed very close friendships with the people I worked with as well. Being a part of a group of people who are like-minded in their goals is an inspiring experience. Although our work was tiring and seemed, at times, impossible, we helped each other through everything.

The biggest challenge was not having enough time in the day to get everything done! I instantly had a new appreciation for every teacher I ever had. As a student, you don’t think teachers do any preparation. This summer I learned that this is so wrong! In terms of the students, my biggest obstacle was keep track of their progress, or making sure that each student was on the same page and involved and participating during lessons. Even though my classes were small (about 13 students max) it was difficult to ensure that everyone was actively engaged. I can’t even imagine teaching a class on 25, which was about the sizes of my classes in middle school. Breakthrough definitely prepared my with some classic teacher moves and classroom management procedures that helped a lot!

I can truly say that this experience has changed me forever.