A Drive for Literacy

By MADISON LEE

Although officially a new hire this year, English teacher Ms. St. Clair-Fraser, or Ms. St. Clair to her students, has a history of working in Jericho Middle and High Schools filling in for absent teachers. Now, as a part-time faculty member, Ms. St. Clair uses her passion for teaching and writing to motivate herself and teach her students to the best of her ability. 

Before joining the Jericho faculty, Ms. St. Clair earned a graduate degree from SUNY Old Westbury College, located just down the road from Jericho High School. She said, “It has been a wonderful experience in terms of the teaching program there. I feel very well prepared.” 

After supporting the English Department last year as a leave replacement, Ms. St. Clair was hired this year at Jericho as a permanent substitute and teacher. Curriculum Associate for English Language Arts Dr. Salzman said, “Ms. St. Clair-Fraser is the best candidate for the role due to her evident passion for teaching and the diversity of experiences she brings to the Jericho community.”

Ms. St. Clair began her work as a student-teacher at the Preparatory Academy for Writers. She said, “It was a really good experience working with that particular demographic. I think it prepared me for a diverse student body, culturally speaking.” 

After growing up in Brooklyn, Ms. St. Clair couldn’t wait to move back and work with The New York City Department of Education. Though she believes that Jericho is different from her past teaching environments, she appreciates Jericho’s strong sense of community. She said, “I feel like Jericho is almost like its own family and I feel that it is very enriching to the teachers and the students.” 

The Jericho community has welcomed Ms. St. Clair greatly and appreciates all that she adds to the classroom. Sophomore Samantha D. added, “Ms. St. Clair is an amazing teacher. Her teaching methods are very effective and I feel like I am undoubtedly improving in all aspects, especially in that of my reading, writing comprehension skills.”

Ms. St. Clair wanted to become a teacher since her youth. She said, “I was alarmed by the literacy rates among the nation in comparison to other countries. Education and writing are very important to me, and I felt like I could contribute in some way, obviously not to fix the country, but contribute to solving that issue.”

Since Ms. St. Clair’s arrival in the spring of the 2020-2021 school year, she has enjoyed the creative freedom as a teacher at Jericho. She said, “I feel the staff have always been supportive, so I would say that it has been a very welcoming atmosphere.”

Ms. St. Clair has numerous hobbies that occupy her free time, and she specifically enjoys creative writing and cooking at home. She said, “I like to read a lot of self help.” She also enjoys dining out.

Ms. St. Clair is interested in helping students outside the classroom by supporting clubs that are more focused on self-help and building relationships, as well as building self-esteem to enrich students as individuals.