Sarita Allen - On her teaching career
Interviewed by Kathryn Wall on July 9, 2024
"That buzz, that hum that’s going on where they’re talking to one another and exploring things, that is crucial. There are times for quiet, you know, like when you’re doing testing or things like that, but all the other times, no. You want chatter, you want buzz, I know I did."
- Sarita Allen
Sarita Allen taught at Seawell Elementary School in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools distrct, where she taught for 27 years, followed by 8 years as the mentor for novice elementary teachers before retiring in 2018. She reflects on her elementary and high school years where she realized becoming a teacher is her calling. She briefly discusses her time in college in New York, before returning to North Carolina to take a teaching position in Chapel Hill. She talks about how she approached teaching younger children and the importance of imprinting a sense of excitement for learning early on. Throughout the interview, she emphasizes the importance of a firm but loving teaching style which encapsulates how she comforted her students while maintaining structure.
