Julia Auster-Hogan ’06
Julia Auster-Hogan ’06 has been teaching at Rivers since 2016. She teaches Middle School theater arts and French, serves as a Middle School advisor and Grade 7 dean, produces Rivers’ theater shows, and advises the Coffeehouse, a community open mic event.
What does Excellence with Humanity look like in your work with students?
It’s about relationships. I work to get to know my students by giving them ways to share about their interests outside the classroom, and I try to do the same myself.
I also observe how they handle successes and failures. Then I do my best to give them the skills they need to reach their highest potential. Whether it’s a full conversation in French or a well-timed joke on stage, I try to gauge where they need the most help and what strategy would work best to get them there.
At the same time, I support and celebrate them as whole people who are each bringing their own stories to the classroom each day.
What’s your favorite unit to teach?
My favorite units are the ones where the students are the most invested. In French 7, that’s usually the unit on family. In French 8, that’s usually the clothing unit. In theater arts, it’s the comedy we put on in the spring.
In each of these units, the kids bring a higher level of engagement because the final product means so much to them. A family tree, a fashion show or a scene about shopping, and a hilarious play performed for their parents.
I see them excited to be in class and synthesizing the skills they’ve been working on all year to create work that we all want to be a part of.
In three words, what makes Rivers special?
Space to grow.
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