22
The College of New Jersey Magazine
AMY PILSBURY '16
INTERNATIONAL KID INFLUENCER
Amy Pilsbury first thought about becoming a teacher when she was in second
grade. In high school, an English teacher made her certain. "He pushed us to do our
best in ways we'd never been pushed before," she says. "I wanted to be an influence
like he was."
Money was tight, and EOF allowed her to come to TCNJ and major in early
childhood education and psychology. She taught for a year in Monroe Township
(New Jersey) but wanted to teach overseas before she settled into a career here. She
spent last year teaching fourth graders at an international school in Shanghai, China.
"They're a lot more stressed out than my students at home would have been,"
Pilsbury says about an educational system that prizes hours of homework and aims
students toward high-stakes tests that can make or break their futures. She signed up
to return for a second year, and hopes that some of her educational philosophy might
seep into theirs. "I have a more holistic view of teaching. That's what I'd like to see
them start moving toward there — more of that growth mindset and being positive
with the students."
