I live in San Francisco, a long way from New York, where I grew up. As
an undergraduate at Brown University, I majored in history, with a focus
on the cultural history of the United States. Since I came to the West
Coast, I’ve spent my time here working with students and teachers in Bay
Area schools, first as an AmeriCorps member and then as the Director of
Community Programs at Children’s Book Press, a non-profit publisher of
multicultural and bilingual picture books. In 2004, I received my teaching
credential in History and English from Mills College in Oakland. This is
my fourth year teaching at Berkeley High and my third year in CP Academy.
This year, I’ll be teaching World Literature and U.S. History.
My most important goals for all my students are that they learn to ask
good questions and to think for themselves. In order to do that, they
need to understand and critically analyze the ideas we study. I hope that
by the end of the year, all my students will see themselves and the world
around them in new ways. I hope they leave my class with new questions
and some ideas on how to find the answers. I also hope they leave knowing
that the world is full of stories: their own stories and the stories of
others, all waiting to be told. I help students do that by giving them
opportunities to read, to discuss, to debate, to participate in
role-plays, to explore art, and perhaps most of all, to write. I believe
writing is an important way not only to share what you know, but also to
figure out what you think. It’s part of my job to create powerful
experiences in the classroom so that students have many ideas to reflect
on in their writing. To make that happen, I work hard to build a classroom
community that is respectful of all students. Success in this class isn’t
just about whether individuals do well. It’s also about how people learn
from and with each other – even people they might not necessarily like.
Everyone benefits from building a respectful community of learners.
Ms. Freidus's honors include Phi Beta Kappa, and being a volunteer for Americorps.
