7questions with... KAREN BENNETT
What do you do at Severn School? I teach fourth grade. I have taught the upper elementary grades throughout my career, and to me, this age is ideal. The students love to engage in play and still laugh at my corny jokes, but are also learning to question the world around them; they are discovering themselves as intellectual beings independent from their parents. Added bonuses are that I don’t have to tie shoes or wipe noses, but I also don’t need to navigate prom date dramas or college essays!
What do you enjoy most about your work?
7
Without a doubt, the most enjoyable part of my work is the opportunity to form meaningful relationships. I think all faculty and staff at Severn would agree that it is a true joy and privilege to be a part of the lives of our students, their families, and each other. We delight in simple daily pleasures, revel in well-earned triumphs, and share in profound, challenging times. This remarkable community supports and sustains all of us.
What moment in your career stands out as memorable?
questions with...
KAREN BENNETT
Known and loved for her wry sense of humor and first-rate teaching, this fourth grade educator likes to say that she “just does what makes good sense.”
There is not one particular moment that stands out, but the faces of all my students create a sort of collage in my memory. It’s often the little things: getting a reluctant student to smile, having a student look up at the end of the day and say, “Is it time to go home already?”, having a parent thank me for “getting their child”, seeing a former student show up at my classroom door, full of warmth and confidence. I have kept a file of positive notes from students and parents over the years that I pull out when I need a boost. They are all precious to me! Outside of Severn, I’ve been fortunate to teach in several different environments, and those experiences contribute to my collective memory. In my first teaching job out of college, I piled inner city kids into my car and watched them dip their feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Working on a Lakota reservation in South Dakota, I had a young student who reluctantly participated in math lessons, but then experienced great success. He returned on horseback the next day to give me a tiny, crude drawing of himself
bull riding – it is on the bulletin board in my classroom to this day. This summer, I lead a writing class in a remote Malawian village in southeastern Africa. Students walked up to five hours
each way to attend the workshop, and then returned voluntarily two days later, excited to have the first writing conference of their lives. There’s nothing like looking up from teaching a lesson to see a goat wandering in the back of the class.
When you're not working, what do you like to do? My biggest focus outside of work is my family. I have three beautiful children, Jeff ’08, Allison ’13, and Annie ’19. I take great pleasure in reading good books, crafting and painting, and spending time with good friends. Now that my older two no longer live at home full time, my husband Paul and I also have more opportunities to travel both locally and abroad.
Who had the greatest influence on your career? The first time I ever really considered the possibility of becoming a teacher was in seventh grade, when my teacher, Dr. Krug, told me he thought I would be a great one. I have to say however, that it’s my parents who have really influenced me. My father’s query when I came home from school was not about my grades, but was, “Did you ask any good questions today?” It has become a family joke of sorts, but they are certainly lifelong learners who have helped me to develop a passion for learning by modeling it in both word and deed.
What's the best advice you’ve been given? The main objective in life should not be to attain personal happiness above everything else. Strive to create value in the lives of others and to live honorably. Happiness is often dependent on external factors; living honorably will bring joy, which is ultimately more substantial and fulfilling.
What would you title the autobiography of your life? Will That Woman Ever Stop Talking? A San Jose, California, native, Karen doublemajored in history and elementary education at Washington University in Saint Louis. She retuned to California to complete graduate work in curriculum and instruction at Sacramento State University. Karen began teaching in 1984 and eventually joined Severn in 2004. The best no homework excuse she’s gotten from one of her students? “My mom was finishing it in the car and forgot to give it back to me.”
What do you enjoy most about your work?
7
Without a doubt, the most enjoyable part of my work is the opportunity to form meaningful relationships. I think all faculty and staff at Severn would agree that it is a true joy and privilege to be a part of the lives of our students, their families, and each other. We delight in simple daily pleasures, revel in well-earned triumphs, and share in profound, challenging times. This remarkable community supports and sustains all of us.
What moment in your career stands out as memorable?
questions with...
KAREN BENNETT
Known and loved for her wry sense of humor and first-rate teaching, this fourth grade educator likes to say that she “just does what makes good sense.”
There is not one particular moment that stands out, but the faces of all my students create a sort of collage in my memory. It’s often the little things: getting a reluctant student to smile, having a student look up at the end of the day and say, “Is it time to go home already?”, having a parent thank me for “getting their child”, seeing a former student show up at my classroom door, full of warmth and confidence. I have kept a file of positive notes from students and parents over the years that I pull out when I need a boost. They are all precious to me! Outside of Severn, I’ve been fortunate to teach in several different environments, and those experiences contribute to my collective memory. In my first teaching job out of college, I piled inner city kids into my car and watched them dip their feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Working on a Lakota reservation in South Dakota, I had a young student who reluctantly participated in math lessons, but then experienced great success. He returned on horseback the next day to give me a tiny, crude drawing of himself
bull riding – it is on the bulletin board in my classroom to this day. This summer, I lead a writing class in a remote Malawian village in southeastern Africa. Students walked up to five hours
each way to attend the workshop, and then returned voluntarily two days later, excited to have the first writing conference of their lives. There’s nothing like looking up from teaching a lesson to see a goat wandering in the back of the class.
When you're not working, what do you like to do? My biggest focus outside of work is my family. I have three beautiful children, Jeff ’08, Allison ’13, and Annie ’19. I take great pleasure in reading good books, crafting and painting, and spending time with good friends. Now that my older two no longer live at home full time, my husband Paul and I also have more opportunities to travel both locally and abroad.
Who had the greatest influence on your career? The first time I ever really considered the possibility of becoming a teacher was in seventh grade, when my teacher, Dr. Krug, told me he thought I would be a great one. I have to say however, that it’s my parents who have really influenced me. My father’s query when I came home from school was not about my grades, but was, “Did you ask any good questions today?” It has become a family joke of sorts, but they are certainly lifelong learners who have helped me to develop a passion for learning by modeling it in both word and deed.
What's the best advice you’ve been given? The main objective in life should not be to attain personal happiness above everything else. Strive to create value in the lives of others and to live honorably. Happiness is often dependent on external factors; living honorably will bring joy, which is ultimately more substantial and fulfilling.
What would you title the autobiography of your life? Will That Woman Ever Stop Talking? A San Jose, California, native, Karen doublemajored in history and elementary education at Washington University in Saint Louis. She retuned to California to complete graduate work in curriculum and instruction at Sacramento State University. Karen began teaching in 1984 and eventually joined Severn in 2004. The best no homework excuse she’s gotten from one of her students? “My mom was finishing it in the car and forgot to give it back to me.”
