Pre-first teacher Erin Brooks first came to Bryn Mawr in 2014 after then-head track coach Jim Lancaster – who had coached Brooks in high school at Seton Keough – recruited her to serve as a part-time track coach upon her return to Baltimore from Wake Forest University. Brooks quickly grew attached to Bryn Mawr. A year and half later, she applied for and received the Betsy S. Wilgis Teaching Fellowship. Established by Betsy Strobel Wilgis ’58 and Shaw Wilgis, the fellowship provides either one or two years of extensive guidance and support for a new teacher that will prepare him or her to become a successful full-time teacher. Fellows have the opportunity to work with experienced Bryn Mawr faculty, steadily taking on increased teaching responsibilities as their education progresses. Brooks was paired with pre-first teacher Meghann McMahon. After completing her fellowship, Brooks is now flying solo in the pre-first classroom; she also serves as the head track coach for the Upper School.

What made you want to become a teacher?

I have always known that I wanted to do something with kids – even as a kid, I wanted to work with children – but I originally thought that was going to be as a pediatrician. In college, I was on the pre-med track and enjoyed it, but I began volunteering at a school with my track team, and then happened to get a job after graduation at a preschool. I was still figuring out where to go to medical school and then I realized, wait a minute – I really enjoy this, and this is where I feel at home. I had already figured out what I wanted to do, without even recognizing it.

What was your first day in the classroom like?

I started at Bryn Mawr in the pre-first classroom as the Wilgis Teaching Fellow, and I was paired with [pre-first teacher] Meghann McMahon. One of the first things I recognized right away was how awesome she was with the class, and how welcomed I felt. I also quickly saw that the girls were excited about everything! They were just amazing – so joyful, and I loved meeting them and being with them. I immediately got that feeling again that this is what I am supposed to be doing.

How did the Wilgis Teaching Fellowship impact your teaching?

I learned so much from Meghann, and I’m still learning! The fellowship was a really nice way to segue way from the preschool students I had been teaching to students who are ready to read and write, and it showed me how to work with that age group. Right now, I am working on a master’s degree in teaching, so that I can become a better teacher, but it was my experience with Meghann that showed me how to hone in on each student’s individual skills and help them blossom. The fellowship really helped me realize how important this time is for the girls.

You are now the head track coach for the Upper School. What do you like about working with older girls in addition to your work in the Lower School?

Working with the older girls gives me a glimpse of what my students will be like at the end of their Bryn Mawr journey. When I meet my girls, they’re right at the beginning and it’s exciting to think about the kind of people that they are going to become. I also like having the opportunity to help the Upper School girls with the college process and recruiting, if they decide to go that route. It was my coach, [former Bryn Mawr teacher and coach] Jim Lancaster, who helped me figure out the process, and I really enjoy being able to help the girls the way he helped me. I tell them that even if it feels like the world is going to end, I felt the same way and it didn’t. Everything will work out. Hopefully it is a little reassuring, because I can be an example for them of someone who has been through it already.

You’re on a desert island. Food, water and shelter are covered; what three items would you want to have with you?

A radio, or something to listen to music; a Kindle packed with books; and a map so that I could find my way around the island.

If you could have any supernatural power, what would it be?

To be able to turn invisible at will so I could be a “fly on the wall” sometimes.

If you weren’t teaching, what would you be doing?

I think I would coach track full time. Coaching is like being in the classroom, just in a different setting, and I think I would enjoy being in the track world all day.
The girls are excited about everything! They are just amazing – so joyful, and I love meeting them and being with them. When I'm with them, I get the feeling again that this is what I am supposed to be doing.
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.