Welcome, to Ms. Cesari’s Kenan Fellowship Blog!

I’m a 6th grade science teacher at Ligon Middle School in Wake County, Raleigh, NC.  I’ve just survived my first year of teaching, still standing and still smiling, and am getting ready to take on year two.

I’ve wanted to become part of the Kenan Fellows community since I was a pre-service teacher.  One of my former cooperating teachers, Dayson Pasion, was a Kenan Fellow shortly after my time observing and working with him.  I was always inspired when I went into his classroom by his teaching philosophies, his hunger for knowledge, and his clear talent for teaching.  When I found out that he was a Kenan Fellow, it became clear that this was the kind of opportunity I should seek out so that I could become the kind of teacher I had admired so much.  After working closely with another Kenan Fellow, my partner in crime, Taylar Flythe, this past school year, I was convinced that this was an experience I needed to be a part of.  I loved the idea of working with other passionate, risk-taking educators in an environment where I would be a complete novice, putting myself in a position my students find themselves daily.  I knew that I wanted to focus more on creating enriching science content for my students this upcoming school year, and I knew that taking part in authentic science was the best route to success.

One of my personal goals for this internship is to bring authentic science in my class for my students to take part in.  I’m also hoping this will be a way for me, as a professional, to be engaged in authentic science, keeping my passion for the content area alive so that I can bring it to life for my students.  Finally, I’m hoping that this will help me build confidence as a teacher leader as I start my teaching career.