Community Spotlight: Shannon Zwoyer

Shannon is a history teacher and joined the Prestans Online Academy community in 2022. We recently checked in with her to learn more about her background in education, her experience teaching online, and her thoughts on synchronous learning.

Tell us about your background and experience in education.

It was never my plan to be a teacher when I attended high school and college. However, once I was out of the classroom for a year, I actually felt that maybe I was missing my calling all along. I didn’t just learn content in the classroom, but also learned who I was. I realized how important my teachers were in facilitating that and I wanted to give back to other students as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, and adviser. So, I went back to what I knew: boarding school. In 2010, I started teaching at Suffield Academy in Suffield, Connecticut. After 2 years, I had an opportunity to return to my alma mater, The Hill School, and jumped at it immediately. For 10 years I served as a history instructor for mostly 9th & 10th graders, coached soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse, was a dorm parent, and at the very end was a faculty adviser to the Honor Council. During this period I completed my masters in Education and Teacher Leadership at Villanova University. I also developed and enhanced multiple course offerings and worked with my colleagues to establish a skill and content growth chart. This ensured that students were constantly challenged and pushed to improve their metaphorical history toolbox each year. After the 2022 school year, I left Hill and moved to Athens, GA with my family and joined the Prestans team. Since joining Prestans, I’ve taught a wide range of history courses, primarily World History & US History, and helped create the Honors World History curriculum.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Ohh, this is going to be difficult because I would like to say my favorite teachers were my history teachers, but this is not the case. My favorite teacher was my Physics teacher my junior year, Mr. Lodish. I’ve used him a lot for questions like this because I think it is important to know that I did not enjoy Physics, but he made it relatable. He taught it in a way that was never talking over my head, but connected it to things that matter to me: sports. We were expected to read before class and then apply what we read each time that class met. He SHOWED us Physics and I carried that with me into my teaching. Show students how history matters, don’t just talk at them. 

What attracted you to teach at Prestans?

I was immediately drawn to Prestans' online and individualized format. I had my first experience with online learning during COVID as a teacher and a student in my masters program. Students who were eager and took ownership over their learning flourished during this period. Prestans allows students to advocate for themselves early and take control over their future. I appreciate that students can follow their passions outside of the classroom, find what works for them inside the classroom through small group learning, and get the support of their teachers. 

Why do you feel synchronous learning is important?

Synchronous learning to me is where the "why this matters" learning takes place. In history, it is very easy to make assignments that teach the "what" with context from the past, but the synchronous sessions are when the light bulb turns on. It allows students to see the rhyming nature of history, and not the repetitive one that is so often taught in history classes. It also allows me to answer questions immediately that students might have and elaborate on anything that might not make sense. For example, in these sessions I can take something that happened in the past and draw connections to something that is happening in their world right now. I can teach it through the lens that is relatable to them.

What do you like to do for fun?

This is going to sound boring and cliche, but I enjoy hanging out with my family, especially my two boys, Casen (6) & Conor (4). We take hikes through the woods in the back of our property, we explore the University of Georgia’s Children’s Garden, and we especially enjoy going to Lake Hartwell to fish, swim, and ride our boat and jet skis.