Meet an Upper Division Teacher

In this video, Emily Hayman, Upper Division English Teacher, discussed what she loves about teaching Upper Division students at Berkeley Preparatory School. She has been working at Berkeley since 2022.

Hayman says her favorite part about teaching at Berkeley is the students: “The students are fabulously interesting. They’re interested in what they’re studying. We have a lot of fun together in talking about topics ranging from poetry, which is what we discussed in class today, to writing. They’re invested in their learning in a way that I found in teaching at elite colleges, but not always in teaching high school.”

She has found that being surrounded by colleagues who are excited to talk about teaching has supported her professional development, and notes that, at Berkeley, faculty are given designated time to collaborate. “We have time to sit in on each other’s classes, to talk with each other about what we’re doing, and to ask each other questions, and that feels like it’s a really productive space for being a good teacher who’s working with other really great teachers.”

Regarding Berkeley’s campus, Hayman feels that it resembles a college campus. She spends a lot of her free time meeting with students outside or in the library. “That collegiate feel extends to the students and the teachers in terms of the way people interact. There’s a sense of walking around, seeing people you know, running into people and having impromptu conversations, that is fostered by the way that the campus is set up.”

English is just one of many exciting courses offered at Berkeley—to learn more about our rigorous school curriculum, check out the Upper Division Academics overview webpage, our more detailed Upper Division Curriculum Guide, and our School Profile.