While the school goes through a constant cycle of tenured teachers retiring and new ones arriving to fill vacancies, the recent change of instructors in the Lower School has brought a lot of new faces.
In the span of five years, only three of nine primary instructors for first through fourth grade remain in the Lower School.
The current duo of first grade teachers, Ackerman Family Master Teaching Chair of the Lower School Teri Broom and first grade teacher Elizabeth Beacom, serve as a reminder of the generational shifts that have occurred.
Broom’s time teaching first graders began 11 years ago, when the current seniors were in first grade, and Beacom arrived for her first year at the school this fall.
“This is my ninth year of teaching,” Beacom said. “ I came from Hockaday, so I faced the massive switch from an all-girls school to an all-boys.”
In contrast, Broom came from a decade-long teaching career across many schools. In her first year, she immediately noticed the unique nature of the school.
“I taught at Lamplighter in the 90s, and I taught in Coppell for 10 years, but they were really different from St. Mark’s,” Broom said. “One of the things I noticed right away was the boys I taught in fourth grade. I came from teaching fifth grade in Coppell ISD, and the things I was teaching to my fourth grade boys here were things that I was definitely teaching to fifth graders as new information in Coppell.”
Aside from the actual material, Broom also found that the faculty’s culture was effectively creating a fun learning environment.
“I felt that everywhere that the boys went throughout their day, they were getting somebody who was passionate about that topic,” Broom said. “Whether it was art, or music, or drama, or science or whatever it was, they were encountering people who care deeply that they do well in that area.”
Despite their differences in experience, Beacom and Broom share the same passion and excitement for teaching.
“I just love this age of students,” Beacom said. “They’re really engaging and fun to teach. And all students love learning, but I find that, at this age, they get really excited about all subjects.”
Due to the boys’ young age and openness, Broom feels that Lower School is one of the most important times for the boys’ learning.
“When the boys are in first grade, they’re curious, they’re eager and they’re learners,” Broom said. “They want to know more about everything. We play a big part in teaching those really foundational skills that help them later on to be able to do all the amazing things that they do.”
Even though she is new to the school, Beacom understands the importance of preparing her first graders for a 12-year-long journey, both academically and through character and leadership education.
“It is just so important to establish that solid foundation,” Beacom said. “It helps kids not only create that love for learning and academic progress but also acclimate into the St Mark’s community.”
Beacom has been helped by her more experienced colleagues, and she says that her friendship with Broom has been a bright spot this year.
“She has been amazing,” Beacom said. “We laugh all day long. We get to know each other, and we’re also right next door to each other. We teach the same group of kids. We walk through our days together. I just consider myself very fortunate to get the opportunity to learn from her and her wisdom and everything that she has to share with me.”
According to Broom, the passage of knowledge from different generations of teachers is one of the most vital parts of the school’s culture.
“I came in with a large group of teachers: Sherri Darver, Kay Carrio and Cindy Osborne,” Broom said. “We got a lot of mentorship from teachers like Frank Jordan and Catherine Wetzel, and now I can pass down what I learned to the new group of teachers.”
Broom says that one of the most valuable experiences as a first-grade teacher is seeing boys grow and mature through the years, especially when they become leaders on campus.
“I love watching the kids grow up,” Broom said. “When I look at my former students in the Upper School, I still see that little guy, even though they are all grown up and big. You can see it when the guys are in first grade, just how they’re wired, and you see how they use those gifts that they came to us with. It’s so rewarding to see how we had a part in that, and how we helped them build the foundation that they needed to be able to go further and faster later on down the road.”
