JULIE KESTI

Secondary ELA, Humanities and EAL  Educator

M.S. Curriculum & Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison

My goal is to find a school where I can be myself. I attended the Conference to Restore Humanity from the Human Restoration Project this summer and something that came up again and again was creating environments that lead students to say, “I can be myself here.” 

For me, this means being able to have deep and creative discussions about the work we are doing with adolescents, in a place where teachers are not afraid of new ideas, where people want to continue to discover the world of adolescent development and education so that we can understand the wonderful young people we are lucky to work with even better, and can meet them where they are and help them move into their futures in meaningful ways.

I am dedicated to supporting students in becoming lifelong learners who advocate for themselves and their communities. I continue to hone my craft, collaborating with peers to create dynamic school structures that meet student needs.