Profiles

Nan Durban, Grade 1 Teacher

Years in education: 8
Years at Trinity School: 2
Education:
B.A. in Psychology, Sewanee: the University of the South
M.A. in Teacher, Queens University

Nan’s Mission:
Nan provides students with rich content, relevant to the skills they need to be successful in today’s world. In Nan’s safe classroom environment students can explore who they are and who they want to be. Students feel free to set goals, take risks, and try again. Through discovery learning and authentic activities, Nan works to instill a curiosity in students that develops a lifelong love of learning.

The experience that informs Nan’s teaching:
Nan wanted to be a teacher from an early age. She gathered life experiences that developed her teaching both in and out of the classroom. Whether babysitting, working as a counselor at a summer camp, taking educational psychology classes, or working in an after school program, Nan found herself working toward the goal of teaching.

Nan’s parents would have never guessed that one day she would teach. Nan loved school, but struggled to keep up with classmates, especially in reading. She was diagnosed with a learning difference in second grade. Reading would be a struggle throughout her learning career. Nan is grateful that giving up was never an option. Her parents and teachers worked to find strategies and support that Nan still relies on today. Their support was amazing. Today Nan’s students benefit from her patience, perseverance, determination, and alternative approaches to solutions.

Each year Nan is excited to share her own love of learning, and equally enthused to make new discoveries alongside her students.