This National Teacher Appreciation Day and National Teacher Appreciation Week, we honor and celebrate the immeasurable contributions of our Nation’s educators in schools from coast to coast, especially the teachers we are proud to call our own at Tilton School! Our school is divided into two programs: Tilton East serves students in grades K-8, and Tilton West serves students in grades 9-12. Today, we celebrate Tilton East!

Teachers play so many different roles. They are mentors who guide with creativity and care; advocates who fight for students’ needs; role models who help students dream and dare more boldly; and leaders who tirelessly support the families and communities that depend on them. Every day, with every student they reach, educators build the future of our country, and we are grateful for their commitment to our shared future.

This year calls for a much greater celebration due to our country facing a cascade of crises in 2020. Despite all trials and tribulations, educators have risen to the challenge with care and creativity, overcoming disruptions in their own lives while offering unwavering support for their students’ wellbeing and academic progress.

THANK YOU TO OUR TILTON SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR ALL YOU DO!

We asked them a few questions.

Why did you want to become a teacher?

What is the best thing about working at Tilton School?

Tilton East

Taylor Spellman

I wanted to become a teacher to give children a safe place to learn and grow. The best thing about teaching at Tilton School is teamwork! My fellow teachers and teaching assistants are trustworthy and dedicated. I am proud to be their teammate! 

Heather Zaino

A teacher has always been my childhood dream. I love supporting, guiding, and encouraging students to challenge themselves in their learning. 

One of the best things about working at Tilton is teamwork and compassion for the students. 

Kayla Aponte

Becoming a teacher was never in my future plans. I took a T.A position here a few years ago and instantly LOVED my job. I worked with a fantastic teacher who took teaching to a new level. The lessons were all interactive and fun, and her students truly enjoyed learning. When I heard there was an opening for a teacher in another room, I jumped into action. Being a teacher here at HGS is very rewarding. You work with caring coworkers who become family. Yes, there are challenging days, but the relationships you build with each of your students are far more rewarding than any challenge you will face. It was one of the best decisions I've made.

The best thing about working at Tilton is being there for my students, not just as a teacher, but as someone they can trust, talk to, and who knows them. When you can watch a child grow and know that you had something to do with that positivity in their life, it just puts a smile on your face. 

Jennifer Dygert

I didn't know that I wanted to become a teacher until I started as a teaching assistant here at Tilton School. After a few years of being a TA and some encouragement from my coworkers, I knew that becoming a teacher was the right choice for me. I earned my Bachelor's and master's degrees over the course of several years while still working in Tilton School. It was a lot of hard work, but it was the best choice I ever made. 

I love working at Tilton because I have the freedom to teach my students in various ways. We complete projects, experiments, labs, and even go on educational field trips. Students have different learning styles, and being a teacher at Tilton allows me to figure out how each of my students learns best and give them exactly what they need to be successful learners.