English
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Emily Robertson
Upper School English
Emily Robertson
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Ethan Winglass
Middle School English
Ethan Winglass
- Email Lisa Brown
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Lisa Brown
English Department Head, Upper School English
Lisa Brown
I grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. As a girl I loved reading; I remember going to the school library one day with my 5th grade class and overhearing my 3rd grade teacher tell one of her students to ask me to suggest a book because “Lisa has read every book in here.” Now, clearly that wasn’t true and I squirmed and blushed, but I was proud. Better than being remembered as the kid who put glue on everyone’s stool in 7th grade art. In middle school and high school, though, I stopped reading as much, but I re-discovered my love for it in college. By some miracle of scheduling, I took an American literature and American history at once, and the proverbial light bulb went off. The relationship between what was happening in the country and the author’s story captured my interest and made me want to keep reading and exploring the world. More importantly, it made me want to create that moment for other kids. After graduating, I taught in Tijuana, then Southern California and Maryland before making my way to Beaver. The committed faculty, the creativity in the classrooms, discussions about great literature, and the excitement of kids having their own “ah-ha” moment as learners all energize me and push me as a teacher.
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Billye Toussaint
Upper School English
Billye Toussaint
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Lydia Guaraldi Fash
Upper School English
Lydia Guaraldi Fash
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Cynthia Cassella
Upper School English
Cynthia Cassella
- Email Kathleen Kosberg
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Kathleen Kosberg
Middle School English
Kathleen Kosberg
If you know me, you know I like to ask questions. Curiosity is at the center of everything I do in the classroom. I’ve been part of the Beaver community for many years, teaching English in the Middle School, and after more than three decades as an educator, I still believe the best learning happens when we’re genuinely wondering together. Words and language fascinate me. I love to read, I love to write, and I love to talk—though I try to keep a reasonable balance between talking and listening! Interacting with storytelling is how I make sense of the world, considering others’ perspectives and reflecting on my own experiences and feelings—through literature, film, and song. Humor and connection energize and inspire me. I find that laughter reduces stress, lifts moods, and opens doors, and that middle schoolers, when they trust you, are beautifully hopeful, complex, curious, and honest. Outside of school, when I’m not watching my two sons grow up too fast, I enjoy running and yoga, chocolate, and sunshine.
- Email Tom Manning
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Tom Manning
Upper School English and Dean of Student Life
Tom Manning
Thomas grew up in Jamaica Plain and went to high school at Catholic Memorial in West Roxbury. After graduating from Tufts with a major in English, he stayed at Tufts to coach in the men’s basketball program. Thomas also enrolled in the Education Department and started working toward a master’s degree. A year of coaching, graduate school work, and student teaching in the Medford and Somerville schools convinced him that he wanted to teach and coach at the high school level. The following fall he started teaching, coaching, and running a dormitory at an independent boarding school in southeastern Massachusetts. After nine years, the Mannings decided to move back to the Boston area to try day-school life, and he happily landed at Beaver in the fall of 1990 as an English teacher and basketball coach. It has been exciting to be part of Beaver’s growth and development over the years, and he continues to enjoy his work with Beaver students and their families.