Ms. Freisinger’s Experience Balancing College And Student Teaching at MRHS

By Dawn H and Angelina G

Ms. Ellerie Freisinger, or as students call her, Ms. Fry, is a new student teacher at MRHS. She currently assists Mr. Adamsky in his English classes for sophomores and seniors while balancing going to classes at CU Boulder. 

Before coming to Mountain Range High School, Ms. Fry worked at a charter school for five years called Rocky Mountain Prep. At Rocky Mountain Prep, Ms. Fry largely taught Speech and Debate. She would also help students who were struggling with reading or English skills at their grade level, helping them “build a foundation” for them to work up to their appropriate grade level. 

“I think that I am getting more learning out of my student teacher placement here at Mountain Range than I am in school,” Ms. Fry claims. She believes that college provided very different expectations for student teaching.“It kind of feels like what's happening at school isn't always related to what's happening here.” She adds to this, claiming that “When you teach you don't write a lot of essays and you don't read a lot of analytical papers.” 

When asked about her experience about balancing student teaching and college life, Ms. Fry articulated, “It's a lot of responsibility because you're going to school full time, but then you also have a part time job.” She claims that it is strenuous and just overall “a lot of work.” 

However, Ms. Fry believes that the connection she creates between students is extremely valuable. “Getting to know the students, I think, is always the best part of teaching,” she claims. She enjoys getting to know the students through various personal assignments as well. 

Ms. Fry claimed that even though the job has been stressful, her personal life has been affected very little, saying “that it would probably have impacted my life more, but because I have a community that's teachers, they understand the experience.” Ms. Fry has also been actively keeping up with her hobbies whilst student teaching which include running, yoga, lifting, and particularly baking, stating, “My grandma was a professional baker. So I bake a lot because it's just kind of like a love language for me.”

Coworker and English teacher William Adamsky believes that Ms. Fry is “friendly and easy to get to know.” He claims that Ms. Fry is very helpful for his classroom, and somestudents tend to bond with her more than with him. “She’s a bit younger than I am and closer to the students’ age, so I think in some cases she can make those personal connections better than I can.”

To select a student teacher, Ms. Fry claims that the process begins with a personality survey to match a student teacher with a teacher. The process is run through the University of Colorado. The teacher, Mr. Adamsky explains, will then select a student teacher from a group who “matched” with him. 

Ms. Fry summarizes her experience and presence at Mountain Range as quirky and invigorating. Her prioritization of student bonds emphasizes her belief in a teaching culture based on connection. No matter what Ms. Fry does after this year she will be always welcome at The Mountain.