Samantha Walsh ’15, G’16 and Kevin Walsh ’15, G’17
December 14, 2021 · Classroom Heroes
Third-grade teacher at Watervliet Elementary School in Watervliet, New York
Kevin Walsh ’15, G’17
High school pre-algebra and algebra 1 teacher at Hoosic Valley Junior/Senior High School in Schaghticoke, New York
An ugly Christmas sweater party ultimately brought this husband-and-wife pair of teachers together when they were students at Saint Rose, and the College means so much to them that Kevin proposed to Samantha in the Thelma P. Lally School of Education.
What lessons do you still carry with you from Saint Rose today?
Samantha Walsh: “There are a million ways to teach one thing.” – Dr. Pfister said this to me when she gave me my very first assignment involving writing a lesson plan. I could not wrap my head around the “best” way to teach a second-grade ELA standard. She then reminded me of this when I had to teach a demo lesson for Watervliet during my interview process. I don’t know if she realized how much this would stick with me, but I still think about it today when I compare how I teach something to my colleagues and then worry! Or even when I’m writing up a lesson for an observation. It really calms me down, but it is also so beyond true!
What keeps you in this field – even with all of the challenges?
Kevin Walsh: I’m not going to lie to you; teaching is tough. Sometimes lessons don’t go as planned, and you simply have a rough day. It’s common with any job, really. I think it’s important to remind yourself that you’re making a difference. Teaching during the pandemic, where I had to juggle in-person students along with fully online students and hybrid students, wasn’t easy. There were a lot of days last year when I would come home absolutely exhausted and not feeling great about how lessons went. I had to remind myself, with the help of Sam, that even though I had my rough days, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The teaching may look different than it did a couple years ago, but I do believe I’m still making a difference in my students’ lives, and that keeps me going through all the challenges teaching presents.
Read Samantha and Kevin’s Full Q&A
