Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/1001060
Middle school English teacher Andrea Finkle wants her students to truly understand what life was like in the 1930s when they read the historical fiction novel Al Capone Does My Shirts. Enter Teresa Sutter, Latin's archivist and expert on all things historical. Students dig into Latin's archives from that period, including letters, newspapers, yearbooks and photos. These primary source materials provide interesting clues as to products and activities that were popular at the time, like Green River soda, bookstores and radio personalities. Letters to the headmaster detailed the founding of Latin's scholarship program as a result of the Great Depression, and newspaper clippings tell the tales of economic hardship — robberies by gangsters, prom night fights with The Wells Street Gang and kidnapping threats! FIFTH GRADERS DIG INTO THE LATIN ARCHIVES Hearing Ms. Sutter's stories about things that happened at Latin and seeing the actual photos really solidified students' understanding of the era and helped them picture where the events took place." – Andrea Finkle, fifth-grade English WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT LATIN? It's truly an exciting time to be a teacher in the upper school at Latin. We're evolving and taking risks by changing our curriculum in ways that are truly innovative. is is in large part the product of teachers who are exible, willing to try new things and responsive to the evolving needs of our students. I love that risk-taking is encouraged, given it's a skill we hope our students have when they graduate. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT TEACHING? e energy from the students, the endless possibilities of what we might discuss and engage deeply with, and the strength we draw from our communal experiences in the classroom all give me immense pleasure every day. I feel pure joy when I'm in the room with students. WHY DID YOU DECIDE THAT YOU WANTED TO WORK AT A SCHOOL? After experiencing what life was like working in a cubicle for about two years after college, I knew that was not what I saw myself doing. I went back to school and received a master's in teaching and never looked back. ere's nothing more tangibly rewarding than working with young adults. WHAT PROFESSION, OTHER THAN BEING A TEACHER, COULD YOU ALSO SEE YOURSELF DOING? Legal aairs correspondent for NPR or a y shing guide. WHAT WAS THE LAST GOOD BOOK YOU READ? America's Unwritten Constitution by Akhil Amar and e Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES AND INTERESTS? I'm an obsessive podcast listener. I consume probably three to ve episodes per day. "Everything from Planet Money," "Freakonomics," "e Daily," "Up Front," "Pop Culture Happy Hour," "Amicus" and "A More Perfect." WHAT TRAITS DO YOU ADMIRE IN OTHERS? Curiosity is my number one favorite trait in any human. Any kind of curiosity — intellectual, literary, artistic, culinary — is admirable. Curious people are engaged in their environment and actively try to curate information that helps them nd answers, seek knowledge and hold disparate thoughts in their mind simultaneously. ey tend to be incredibly engaging and contribute to conversations, communities and society. WHAT ARE YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES? To be a responsive educator who can adapt to the evolving learning styles, interests and needs of my students, which are dierent every year. Q: HOW DO FIFTH GRADERS GET READY TO READ A HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL SET IN THE 1930s? A: Spending time in Latin's archives, of course! 13 LATIN MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018