Introducing Abigail Luft! Abigail graduated from Denison in the class of 2022 as a double major in Educational Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. Abigail is now a first-grade teacher at St. Thomas Academy in Redmond, Oregon. When she’s not teaching, she is working on her Master of Arts in Teaching at the University of Portland and exploring Oregon with new friends.
At Denison, Abigail was involved in the Education and WGST departments, and worked as a Stay and Play Helper at The Welsh Hills School in Granville. Abigail always knew that she wanted to be a teacher throughout her time at Denison. So when the opportunity arose for her to get into the classroom right after graduation, she took it!
Abigail believes that both of her majors prepared her incredibly well for graduate school. In her major courses, she had experience conducting research, engaging in discussions, and building meaningful relationships. She gained confidence in her writing and communication skills which are essential for graduate skills. Her majors also prepared her very well in discussing a variety of social issues, and issues within the education system.
The main piece of advice Abigail has for Denison students who are thinking about becoming teachers is to get into the classroom as much as possible! A lot of her classroom management and instruction strategies now draw from what she learned in her CSL field experience course that she took during her first-year at Denison. These courses in the Education department are great ways to get first-hand experience to decide if teaching is the right path for you. However, when Abigail reflects on this time she wishes that she had been able to spend more time working alongside a more experienced teacher before becoming a Lead Teacher herself.
If students are interested in becoming a Lead Teacher or in learning about Abigail and her experiences, they can contact her at her email address, which is: abigailluft22@gmail.com. Thanks Abigail!
