New English teacher and Head Coach of the Upper School junior varsity volleyball team Anastasia Quinn joins the KO community this year. She brings to the English department a passion for literature, and to the sports teams a long-time love for the game of volleyball.
Ms. Quinn graduated from Teachers’ College at Columbia University last year, located in New York City. Prior to KO, Ms. Quinn taught sixth and eighth grade at a progressive day school in Alexandria, Va., where she and other faculty members worked to meet students where their skills were, catering their teaching style to the needs of the students. Before she entered education, Ms. Quinn worked in the sales and events branch of a magazine based in Delaware and simultaneously coached volleyball teams. “This memory will never fade,” Ms. Quinn said. It was through teaching on the court as a coach that she realized she wanted to bring her talents to the classroom. “I had a lightbulb moment; I unlocked the door, [walked] into the gym and I thought to myself, oh man, I need to be in academics,” Ms. Quinn said. She went on to earn her certification at the University of Delaware and began teaching in public school, before switching to the private school sector.
Ms. Quinn spoke insightfully about her perspective on teaching, likening it to a way of life: “Embarking on that journey with my students every year and seeing where that journey takes us is very lovely,” she said. As a teacher of middle-school aged kids, Ms. Quinn shared her appreciation for the duality of her students. “I love how we get to be silly, but we also get to have really complex conversations,” she said. “It’s an important time, and I want to make sure that every student has a good transition [to high school].”
In the classroom, Ms. Quinn said her favorite book to explore is “The Giver” by Lois Lowry; she anticipates looking closely at “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak with her students later in the year. For leisure reading, Ms. Quinn lists the “Harry Potter” series as a favorite, and she is living out her love for the novels by serving as the faculty advisor for the Harry Potter Club in the Middle School.
Outside the classroom, Ms. Quinn jokes, “[I spend my time] thinking about what I’m going to be doing inside the classroom.” She also said she enjoys playing volleyball—a hobby she’s had since she was a middle schooler—walking her German Shepherd, and visiting historical sites, like Historical Williamsburg in Williamsburg, VA, or going to Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn., and reading. We are so lucky to have Ms. Quinn in the classroom and on the court.
