Today we’d like to introduce you to Frances Alexander.
Hi Frances, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story is a rather convoluted one, full of twists and turns, as the first line of The Odyssey states. When I started college, I intended to major in dance and French, but within the first week, I dropped a class to start taking Arabic, simply because I wanted a challenge. I knew I liked languages and I decided that only in college could I learn a language with a different alphabet because I wouldn’t be able to teach it to myself.
Once I started Arabic, I discovered how little I knew about the Middle East, and how complex and rich its history is. That led me to major in Middle Eastern Studies and then Anthropology as well. But then I came to another crossroads: where to study abroad. Initially, I thought I would strive for fluency in French because I had been studying that longer. But again, a week later, I changed my mind when someone asked me why I wouldn’t take the road less traveled, so I applied to study in Cairo, Egypt. It was a life-changing experience for so many reasons.
I learned so much about myself- there’s nothing like living abroad that makes you independent pretty quickly. But I also learned a lot, not only about Egyptian culture but also about how America is perceived through Egyptian eyes. For example, I distinctly remember someone telling me that she pitied American girls who felt pressured to have perfect bodies so that they could wear bikinis, whereas, in Egypt, women don’t have to worry about body image as much with their burkas.
It was such a lightbulb moment for me because very often in the States, we see women who wear burkas as being oppressed, which isn’t the case from their perspective. I returned home from Cairo a few weeks before the Egyptian Revolution started, which is what I ended up writing about for my senior thesis. But while I was in Cairo, I volunteered as an English teacher for a friend’s NGO, and it was then that I discovered what would become my career and passion.
Before that, I had been thinking about working either in the non-profit world or perhaps for the government with my Arabic skills. But once I discovered how much I love working with students and watching them grow, I decided to become an English teacher. Even my teaching career has been a convoluted one. I used to joke at Back to School Night that I’ve taught in public, public charter boarding, French, Quaker, Independent, and Jewish schools, and I attended a Catholic school as a student, so if there’s another type of school that someone can think of to add to my list, I’d be happy to know!
I began as a Teach for America corps member in Washington, DC. During my first year, I taught English, history, and Arabic to 6th and 7th graders, but the school closed at the end of that year. It was tumultuous, to say the least. The following year, I worked at a public charter boarding school, but that was just as rocky, so from there, I decided to pursue the opportunity that I had forgone in college: living in France. I spent nine months as a teaching assistant in a little-known town called Annonay working with high school students.
When I returned, I accepted a one-year position teaching tenth-grade American Lit as well as two electives for upperclassmen at a Quaker school in Baltimore. The following year, I began working at a private school in Miami where I taught seventh and eighth-grade English for five years, and ninth and tenth grade for one. I loved both my students and fellow teachers with whom I worked. Currently, I am the Humanities Department Chair at a brand new school called the Jewish Leadership Academy that will open next year for students.
I am involved in helping the school get up and running, which includes writing and overseeing the curriculum, hiring faculty, and interviewing students, among other jobs. We wear many hats this year. It’s a new type of role for me, but it’s been exciting and meaningful work. I believe in my colleagues at JLA and think that we’re building a school where students can flourish into well-rounded, resilient, academically capable, and moral young adults.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m not sure that anyone has a smooth road. Is there such a thing? And if so, is that path worth taking? I’m not sure it is. I think the most interesting people are those who have had rocky roads full of twists and turns (but maybe I’m biased). There’ve been many struggles, not all of which I can describe here. But I think that teaching is a profession that requires a lot of learning by trial and error.
Someone told me that being a first-year teacher is like learning to fly a plane when it’s already in the air and also on fire. It might sound a bit extreme, but it’s not that far off from what teaching feels like some days, especially during the first few years. There are so many invisible skills that go into teaching even just one lesson; teachers make so many decisions during every day, every hour.
For example, they need to know when to hold a firm line with a student and when to soften and make an exception, and the answer can depend on every individual student or situation. In addition to being masters of their content area, teachers also need to be self- and socially aware. The best teachers, I think, are those who seek to grow and learn, but who also reflect on themselves and their practice regularly.
Sometimes I think I have the opposite problem: I can be too navel-gazey and often find myself walking home thinking of all the things I could, and should, have done better that day. But that, for me, is also what makes teaching so rewarding. As a teacher, I am always growing and learning ways that I can make instruction more meaningful for students. I know that teachers often say this, but it’s true: I learn more from my students than I imagine (or hope) they learn from me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit. What sets you apart from others and what are you most proud of?
Well, I don’t know that I can answer what I’m known for or what sets me apart from others, but I can answer what I’m most proud of. I’m proud of the growth that my students make over the year, especially in terms of their confidence and writing skills.
I love, as I suppose all teachers do, seeing the lightbulb moments when a student finally understands how to write a thesis statement or how to analyze and integrate a quote. I’ve seen students go from writing a paragraph that resembles a deconstructed sandwich (meaning they have all the elements, but it’s broken apart into disconnected sentences) to a cohesive, powerful argument- and sometimes that happens overnight in the process of one revision.
I’m also proud of the connections that I make with my students. I love getting to know them as human beings, not just as students or writers. I hope to carry those connections beyond the classroom and watch them grow up into professional adults. For me, the biggest joy of teaching comes from working with and laughing with, young people.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Oh man- as far as books go, there are far too many to count. I love reading, though I am often too tired at the end of the day to read as much as I’d like to. In a way, I miss the times of quarantine because I was finally able to read so many titles on my list. My friends from graduate school and I had a virtual book club where we read War and Peace and Middlemarch, which happen to be two of my favorite books.
As it so happens, my friends, particularly those from grad school, as well as my colleagues are the best resources I know of that help me become a better teacher. One of the many benefits I gained from my master’s program is the network of amazing English teachers that I now know all over the country, so I’m always asking them for advice. I’ve learned more from them than I do from most professional development opportunities.
Image Credits
Jenny Abreu Photography, Bread Loaf School of English, and Yamit Linde
