Faculty Unscripted: Anne Beckenstein

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Anne Beckenstein teaches tenth-grade English

What are your primary roles at MSA?

I teach tenth grade English.

What made you decide to live and work on the Hill? 

I recently returned to the area and looked at Miller as a possible workplace.

I had lived in Charlottesville for almost 30 years prior to returning.

Most memorable teaching, coaching, or student-life experience? 

During the pandemic, I started a school for one year for grades 1, 2, and 5. I had a few weeks to get ready. I learned so much that year. I worked very hard, and we all had a good time. 

I love when a student(s) understand an idea and a light bulb lights up in their minds.

I love sharing great literature with my students.

If you were not an educator, what would you be?

I have explored the world of writing. I finished my first novel and I would like to begin the second. I used to write poetry, but I set a goal to write a novel. Now that I finished the first, I would like to learn more about writing.

I am also a mother and a grandmother. I enjoy keeping up with my family. 

I got my yoga certification in March 2020, so I teach yoga. I also have enjoyed working at a small French restaurant in Nellysford. I have several hobbies!

Favorite aspect of working at a boarding school?

I love learning about other cultures. I have been an international teacher in Egypt and El Salvador. Before the pandemic, I used to travel a lot. There is a different presence/energy at an independent boarding school. I have taught in public high schools and community colleges.

Most memorable lesson learned from students at MSA?

Try to be yourself. Try to keep on improving yourself, but also don’t take yourself too seriously. The students want to learn, so be prepared! Keep discovering!

Favorite place to go or thing to do on MSA’s 1,600-acre campus?

I love all the trees and rolling hills. I would like to get over to the farm and grow a few things! I enjoy sharing ideas with my colleagues.

Movie you have watched the most times in your life?

I don’t watch many movies, but I have seen The Last of the Mohicans and Hamlet  many many times.

Dream trip? 

I enjoy going to the Nosara Peninsula in Costa Rica and Antigua, Guatemala.

I would love to hike in the Swiss Alps, a walking vacation or go to the museum of the Chauvet Cave in southeastern France.

Pets? 

I have a six month old kitten named Jo. He is very funny, reverent, and sometimes ferocious.

What did you want to do when you grew up (when you were in high school)? 

When I was six, I wanted to be a ballerina, but I did not receive ballet training until I was fourteen. When I was ten, I thought of working at the U.N. My mother and her mother were teachers. Living with a teacher had a big influence on me. I met many writers beginning when I was fourteen, and I looked for a way to combine teaching and writing.