This September, Ms. Kim Tholis, with her teal-green backpack, opened the doors to Princeton Day School. With excitement bubbling inside, she began the journey of becoming a Middle and Upper School Science teacher.
When Ms. Tholis found out there was a job opportunity at Princeton Day School, she felt overjoyed. She recalls thinking, “it seemed to be a great opportunity with a great school!” Ms. Tholis brings a lot to the table; she is not scared of being her own, authentic self. She embraces imperfections and finds beauty in what students are able to do. She exemplifies this in class through allowing students to decide their specific project topics and how they create those assignments, whether that be a picture book or a poster.
Ms. Tholis learned this from her high school art teacher, Mr. K. Back then, Ms. Tholis found a safe haven in the art studio. It was a place where she could breathe amid school’s chaos. She remembers that “[Mr. K] always played music while we were in class and allowed us to find our own motivation rather than push us too hard.” Now, Ms. Tholis, plays music and allows students to find their pace in her class, nurturing a safe space in the classroom setting.
Before teaching, Ms. Tholis experienced the world through a multitude of lenses. She never exactly knew what she wanted to do with her life, so she did everything. In the roaring rivers of Alaska, she taught seven year olds tidepooling. After that, she conducted projects revolving around environmental stewardship in the mountains of Colorado. Flying out of Colorado, Ms. Tholis moved to Nepal to teach English as a Foreign Language. There, she began to discover her love for teaching and inspiring students. Once her teaching in Nepal finished, she took a job at the Solebury School.
After teaching there for three years, Ms. Tholis found her unique teaching style. She describes it as “bringing my authentic self, encouraging and supporting student voice, allowing students to explore personal interests, getting outside when possible, and anything experiential.”
When educating students, Ms. Tholis uplifts their voices and ensures they have fun. She understands the integral part she has in shaping their teenage memories. Ms. Tholis encourages them to work hard, while still enjoying the “wild ride of being a teenager.”
Though Ms. Tholis’s ultimate goal as a teacher is to help students gain a “deeper appreciation and connection to our natural surroundings,” she strives to be remembered “as the kooky blonde lady who made science slightly more interesting than they originally thought possible.” So far… she is!
