Holly Bellisari always has time to listen, give a quick brush up on a lesson, or support her sophomore students throughout their AP World History course.
With an emphasis on making sure her students keep learning and enjoying the course material, she uses a variety of strategies throughout the year.
“I definitely think my [AP World History] teacher made [the course] more enjoyable […] they were just very energetic in the way that they talked about the subject,” said Bellisari.
While being well-informed about the subject is essential for understanding, having an entertaining teacher and someone students look forward to listening to makes the class seem less tedious.
“AP World is a challenging class and I have never enjoyed history, but she makes the lesson plan so us students can engage and pay attention,” said sophomore Mia F., via text message.
Having a teacher that is not only focused on having the students learn more, but also that cares about the students and how they are as a person is a key component to how well a student does in the course.
“[…]she cares about her students and wants them to thrive,” said junior Sophia R., via text message.
Bellisari is also a teacher that is well known with her funny, lighthearted approaches to her lessons. She aims to make her lessons enjoyable and relatable.
“I try to make sure that they’re not constantly just taking notes […] at the same time they’re actually applying what we’re doing in either asking questions or doing something in which they’re working together to figure out answers,” said Bellisari.
Bellisari’s students give positive feedback, especially when they know that the teacher is someone who is flexible and willing to work with them.
“She would be funny while she [taught] making everyone pay attention and she also allowed us to work with our own partners a lot,” said Sophia R., via text message.
Having a teacher that is so memorable and someone students can still talk about after their year ends, is something not everyone can say they had. Bellisari continues to impress students and will likely be a popular teacher among her students for years to come.◼️
