By Caroline Zandler

At Collegiate, our educators are committed to fostering the development of young minds. This sentiment is embodied by Middle School advisor, English teacher, and my mother, Kimberley Booth, who has taught at Collegiate for 15 years. Booth has a kind heart and is outwardly passionate as a mother, and she carries these attributes into her teaching.

Booth’s 6th Grade boys Advisory in 2021-2022. Photo credit: Kimberley Booth.

In 2000, Booth began her teaching journey at Collegiate with 4th Graders. During her early years, she forged strong connections with fellow educators, such as Lower School teacher Heather Garnett and Lower School librarian Catherine Featherston, and these relationships ultimately lured her back to the school. Although her tenure in the 4th Grade lasted only five years, it left a lasting impression on her career. After starting a family, Booth shared: “my plan was to always come back when [my kids] were ready to start school, and when we moved back to Richmond, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

Since returning to Collegiate in 2014, Booth has become a cornerstone of the 6th Grade experience, serving as both an advisor for boys and an English and reading teacher for boys and girls across the grade. Her passion for education is evident in her dedication to nurturing young minds during an impressionable stage of their learning.

Booth describes the 6th Grade students as “the perfect age,” emphasizing their enthusiasm for school and natural curiosity. “Their questing minds thrive,” she said, capturing what makes this age group special. As I sat in on one of her classes, I watched her address each student as they walked in, asking them how their day or week had been.

In her lesson that day on reviewing what themes are and how to write a thesis statement, not one hand raised went uncalled on. With great patience, she addressed every question her students asked and thoughtfully responded to each one she posed to them. She did this without fail. Even if a student had already answered correctly, she did not leave a single hand in the air when she finally moved on. Booth has an ability to make every student feel seen. Her commitment does not stop at inspiring her students; it extends to her long-term vision. Booth has stated unequivocally that 6th Grade is where she intends to remain. “When I leave the 6th Grade, I will be retiring,” she asserted. This sentiment highlights her dedication to her students and her passion for teaching this age group.

This spring, 6th Grade students at Collegiate will embark on a new academic journey “where they will practice basic level novel analysis and essay writing,” Booth stated. The books students read cover a range of themes, from The War That Saved My Life, a triumph story, to The Giver, a morally-driven dystopian novel; nothing is left out. All 6th Grade students are required to independently read 900 pages a quarter, on top of the three whole class novels they read in school. Booth noted different reading interests per gender: “The boys are drawn to more graphic novels, like the Big Nate series, and books about sports, while I find the girls reading more suspenseful and scary books.” 

Booth’s 6th Grade boys Advisory in 2015-2016. Photo credit: Kimberley Booth.

As reading is essential to the language curriculum, Booth’s favorite teaching topic is signposts. Signposts are a way to close read, which is necessary as the reading level and volume pick up as the students reach 6th Grade. This spring, the class is practicing signposts through purposed worksheets, incorporating drawing and writing to engrain the lessons and topics in their brains. These worksheets are fundamental to the teaching experience. They help students understand all they need to know to, in turn, be able to write about the books or analyze them. Sitting in on the class, I observed them go over a worksheet assigned for homework where they had to write the theme of their chosen book, pick a color that captured its essence, and find a motif. 

Another aspect of the 6th Grade English curriculum emphasizes the fundamental structure of essays and the organization of ideas, equipping students with essential beginner essay writing skills that will benefit them throughout their educational experience at Collegiate. Through what Booth calls the “hamburger method,” each part of the hamburger is a necessary part of an essay. The bun is the introduction and thesis statement, the lettuce, tomato, and burger are the three body paragraphs, and the other bun is the conclusion. Mnemonics like this help simplify complex topics. Another teaching method, Wordly Wise workbooks, have become a staple for Middle School students. These workbooks help students practice vocabulary at a high level through various activities that keep them engaged. Each week, they learn new words and complete exercises like crosswords, which provide a refreshing alternative to traditional memorization-based learning.

Booth, who enjoys teaching both boys and girls classes, shared, “you know you teach a little differently for the boys and the girls, but their attitudes toward the material are the same.” With apparent curiosity coming from the students, Booth emphasized that a teachers’ ability to have enthusiasm infuses classrooms with a vibrant energy, fostering a culture of curiosity and eagerness among students. In reflecting on what it means to be a teacher, especially a 6th Grade teacher, Booth said, “it’s kind of a perfect age, because they are just beginning to understand world and have an opinion of the world, and so just being able to give them the opportunity to explore that through literature is just so fulfilling.”