Instructor Testimonials

I'd say that my experience at Fairfax Collegiate offered me an opportunity to have a fun and rewarding summer. The children never stopped amazing me with their creativity, and it was exciting to watch them open their minds while having fun. The robotics courses are especially interesting to teach since you can really see how the students learn to adapt their creations to new challenges.

One of the great benefits of working with FCS is the support I get as a teacher. When teaching a class of 20 students I had as many as three assistant teachers, each qualified to be an instructor in his or her own right. Students received direct instruction and learned far more than they would have had I been teaching alone.

When my friends asked me about my job at FCS, I would often say "I love it" and then instantly rethink my sentence and correct it. "I love them," I would say afterwards, referring to the many students I met through FCS who have literally changed my life and made me want to teach middle school full-time. What impressed me so much about the students in my writing classes was how much they defied stereotypes about middle school kids. I had always heard that middle school kids had "attitude" and could be difficult to work with. I found the opposite to be true. The students I met at FCS were eager to participate in class and share personal stories with me. I found that if I simply treated them like people, if I made them laugh, and respected to their points of view they trusted me in return. I was literally astounded by the quality of writing that emerged in this atmosphere of trust, humor and friendship. Even though summer was months ago, I still think of them on a daily basis and they motivate me to stay positive. I became a more creative person because of them.

I quickly discovered Fairfax Collegiate to be a great way to hone my teaching techniques as I share my interests and skills as a filmmaker. The program gave me a solid curriculum to work from yet allowed me to leverage my strengths as an educator in a dynamic, challenging, rewarding summer program; it is far more than a "summer job" in that it offers important professional growth for teachers and a sense of accomplishment as students discover ideas and achieve their goals in the classroom. I think this program is an "essential experience" for anyone interested in teaching, youth mentoring, or providing developmental services to children.

I now work as a full-time teacher at a prestigious private school, and it was clear from the interview process that my experience with Fairfax Collegiate played a large role in giving me the resume I needed to get this job. The teaching skills I received while working with FCS directly translated into my new position as an English and public speaking teacher.

At FCS, I had the opportunity to work with some extraordinary people I never would have met otherwise. Some coworkers quickly became friends. It was also fun to work with kids every day; I loved seeing the moment when they grasped a new concept or got really excited about something they had learned or created.

Before launching my teaching career, FCS was a great way to stand before a classroom of students and test out my teaching style. I really enjoyed working with children ranging in age and ability. Watching an eighth grader decode a logic problem or a fourth grader struggle with fraction concepts beats sitting at a desk any day!