Oh? You Came Back?: Teachers Who Went to OCSA

Sage Skaar - Staff Writer

Us OCSA students are constantly reminded of our school’s pantheon of illustrious alumni, many of them prolific artists and performers. However, some of our school’s lesser-known- but equally talented- graduates hide in plain sight here at OCSA, having returned here after college to pass their wisdom on to current students.

“I knew I was going to be in a great environment… [OCSA] is very different from any other school, like the ones I did my student-teaching at.” Said Ms. Tardif (OCSA ‘10), an IM alumna and new lit and comp teacher. “I was always very impressed by the teachers I had here in high school, and I always loved that my teachers helped me to feel welcome and heard in the classroom. My experience here was very much characterized by being in class with my peers and wanting to learn more from them.”

Ms. Fleet (OCSA ‘12), a VA alumna who teaches both academic and conservatory classes, agreed, saying “The kids are polite. You guys are so good, in terms of how you interact with each other and how you interact with me.”

As for perks of the job, both Ms. Tardif and Ms. Fleet agreed that getting to learn more about their students’ conservatories and seeing their performances have only made them fall more in love with OCSA. “I took art classes in college, but nowhere else have I found the balance between academics and arts that OCSA strikes so perfectly,” said Ms. Fleet, punctuating the sentence with her trademark wry smile.

Both teachers agreed that their experience at OCSA absolutely influenced their teaching styles. “I don’t miss feeling anxious about practicing my instrument, or doing all the different homework and in-class projects,” said Ms. Tardif, adding that she sympathizes with her often-overwhelmed students. Ms. Fleet, who prides herself on her ability to relate to her students, said, “I hope that as a teacher I am helping to alleviate that stress whenever possible because I really do remember how stressful everything is.”Ms. Fleet remarked that two things she doesn’t miss about OCSA are the workload and the annex. “It’s always been here,” she joked, “and always been infested with cockroaches.” Reminiscing about what’s changed, both teachers agreed that the workload and the growing pressure on students were two major differences between their experience as students and their return to OCSA as teachers. Ms. Fleet vividly recalled, “One thing that’s changed is the level of rigor and competitiveness. There’s a lot of pressure experienced by students now more than ever; pressure to get into college, pressure to win, pressure to be the top of your class. While I’m always excited to see students pushing themselves and striving to be better, I do occasionally worry for a couple of them… I hope they aren’t trying to compare themselves.”

     “It’s funny, actually,” said Ms. Tardif, “I like using the stairs sometimes. It’s funny because it takes me back to feeling like a student again but it’s actually like… it’s nice. It gets me places quicker than the elevator. I thought that after graduation I wouldn’t have to do it again, but here I am.”