Growing up in Nottingham, England, Foundation head teacher Teresa Marzano originally thought she wanted to pursue a career in law and criminology. In fact, she was accepted at the University of Leeds for just that. But some last-minute soul searching changed her career path and we couldn’t be happier! Teresa was always fascinated with America. She first visited New York when she was 21 and fell in love with the city. Upon completion of her degree in Education, she found summer work through the Camp America program in the U.K. “My work as a counselor at Camp Watito in the Berkshire Mountains was extremely rewarding. Those 8 weeks in the log cabins were amazing and the relationships I formed with the other Camp Watito counselors are still going strong today.”
Following her summer adventure in the States, Teresa returned to England to complete her post-graduate certificate and teacher training degree. Her first teaching job was at a small Catholic school in Nottingham, which she attended as a child. “I had 12 students in my classroom and absolutely loved it, but I knew that I’d be there only for a short time. I really couldn’t wait to return to the U.S. and began applying to schools on the East Coast,” explains Teresa. Teresa landed her first job at New Canaan Country School as an assistant teacher. In August 2005 she joined the faculty at Ridgefield Academy as a first grade head teacher. This year Miss Marzano is teaching a Foundation class. When asked about her experiences teaching younger students, Miss Marzano told us, “I think one of the most important things for young students is to love coming to school every day. I want them to be happy and enthusiastic about learning. I want them to know I’m happy and excited to see them and I want their final thought of the day to be a positive one.” Teresa is currently enrolled in graduate school at Manhattanville College and will complete her Masters Degree in August. In her spare time she loves to travel, and spends most weekends visiting friends in New York City checking out the art scene. In addition to redecorating her home in Stamford, Teresa has rediscovered her sporty side and joined a gym which she frequents to stay in shape.