Lead Teacher, 6th-8th Grade Science, 7th Grade Homeroom Teacher
After a childhood spent in Kansas, Maree vowed to spend her 20’s outside of the USA. She studied and worked in Scotland, worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia and the Dominican Republic. Maree returned to the USA to work as an environmental education (EE) instructor. Her work in Peace Corps and at several EE centers led her to seek and M.S. in environmental education from University of Michigan. Maree began her formal teaching career at a Quaker school in Detroit, MI. Since then she has taught in a variety of setting and locations: a girls boarding school in Connecticut, a public middle school in New York City and an alternative public high school in New York City. While she was living in New York she earned a Master in Education from Columbia University. Maree has been teaching at Sussex since 2003. In her spare time she plays hockey, snowboards, mountain bikes and chases around her son Jack.
What is your teaching philosophy? I want to make sure students are interested in learning. It’s my job to ensure that students like to learn, with the goal that they will continue to do research on their own ideas later on throughout their lives. I want them to think critically, not just in science but in all aspects of life. I want them to investigate beneath the surface, not just taking everything at face value.
Is there anyone in particular who has inspired you as a teacher? My mom, who was also a science teacher for many years inspired me, and continues to do so. I liked the way she used a lot of hands on materials. She managed her classroom in a very calm and matter of fact way. She respected the students and also had complete control of the class.
What was your most rewarding experience as a teacher? I love to talk with students that return to visit me, sometimes years after having graduated, to see how much more they appreciate everything about their previous school experiences.
What do you love most about teaching? I like it that teaching is autonomous, and that you are continually learning new things. I like the support of the teachers at Sussex whenever I need help. I respect the abilities of all the teachers at Sussex. Everyone here is a skilled educator, still interested in improving and growing. Sussex is a very nurturing environment for students and teachers alike.
What do you like to do when you are not teaching? I like to read, play hockey, and hike, (which I hope to do more of now that we are here in Missoula). I really enjoy playing with my son, who is two.
Who is the person you admire most in the world? My favorite author is Jeanette Winterson. I love a couple of her books—The Passion and Written On the Body.
“It’s my job to ensure that students like to learn, with the goal that they will continue to research their own ideas later on throughout their lives. I want them to think critically, not just in science but in all aspects of life.”