Darlene Volchansky

My Favorite Teaching Moment

The aspect of teaching that I enjoy most is watching the growth process as my students become more engaged, autonomous learners. In the words of William Butler Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” When I hear my students who are working in small groups encourage each other with excited voices, when they request hall passes to work on projects during study hall, or when they ask me if we can do “another activity like this one,” I know I’m on the right track. Some of my favorite moments in teaching are when I hear a knock on my classroom door and open it to find a former student, a few years older and wiser, but still sporting a familiar smile. As we reminisce about the field trips, the coffeehouse, or the renaissance faire, I realize how emphatically those live events affect our students.

Why I Love Teaching PLS Courses

Teaching PLS courses is both exciting and rewarding as I watch other teachers experience epiphanies about their own classrooms and create truly meaningful, engaging activities for their students. The atmosphere in PLS classes is always positive and supportive as participants share and consult with other teachers on their grade levels or in their subject areas.

Course Schedule