Kingswood Oxford is excited to welcome a new teacher to its community, English teacher Rachel Heffner-Burns, or as students refer to her: Dr. H-B. Dr. Heffner-Burns describes herself as empathetic, enthusiastic, fun, and above all someone who cares deeply about the material she is teaching.
Dr. Heffner-Burns graduated high school in Bethlehem, Pa., and attended Hamilton College in New York for her undergraduate degree where she majored in theater and creative writing. At that point in her life, Dr. Heffner-Burns briefly considered acting full-time as her career. She soon realized that what she loved most were the stories. She decided to go back to school and get her Master’s in English from Brooklyn College.
Afterward, she went to Lehigh University to earn her Ph.D. in English literature. She wrote her thesis on religious influence in young adult fantasy and sci-fi genres. She remembered how she always enjoyed helping people, learning alongside them, and collaborating with them. “I haven’t always known that I wanted to be a teacher,” she said, “but I always knew that I love teaching and that I was sort of good at teaching, for what that’s worth.”
Dr. Heffner-Burns’ first teaching experience was at a community college. She also recalls working at a movie theater at the same time. She remembers her time at the movie theater quite fondly and says that she learned a lot from working there. Then, she taught for many years under the director of a writing program at Lehigh University. After Lehigh, Dr. Heffner-Burns jumped around at some local colleges, including Norwalk Community College, Springfield College, and Fairfield University.
At Kingswood Oxford, Dr. Heffner-Burns considers herself an intellectual in the classroom. She strives to foster an environment where students feel they can learn and develop. “I try to create a classroom environment that is both safe as well as a place where students can talk about things that matter to them,” she said, “and they can trust that they will be given the benefit of the doubt and responded to kindly.”
As a cross country coach, she has learned alot from the other coaches and her runners. She constantly impressed with each of them and the determination they show every day in practice. She is also eager to learn from her students and grow alongside them in the classroom.
Not only is Dr. Heffner-Burns a teacher, coach, and literature lover, but she is also a mom of two boys: a six-year-old and a three-year-old. In her free time, Dr. Heffner-Burns enjoys going on family hikes or reading a good book that usually falls into the fantasy fiction/sci-fi genre. She also enjoys binge watching a good show every now and then!
Dr. Heffner-Burns is excited to grow alongside her students. She feels grateful to be part of such a welcoming community. Kingswood Oxford welcomes Dr. Heffner- Burns, and we are excited to see her grow and thrive here as a part of the community!
