Our Wildwood, Volume 54

ALUMNI REFLECTION Rachel Hedgepath ‘13 Elementary Lead Teacher

The Teacher Who Taught Me First

As Becca Hedgepath retires after 24 years at Wildwood School, her daughter reflects on a life in the classroom. To others, she is a sister, a wife, a teacher, a friend, and a cheerleader. To me, she is so much more; she is my mom. My mother’s favorite person on Earth was her father—a pharmacist and mayor of a small town in Maine. Growing up, she told me many stories about him, but the memory she often returned to was how he always made her feel seen. When talking about him, she explained to me that even when she was a child, he spoke to her as if she were his equal. I often think of this anecdote when working with my own students, both in how I speak to them and in the expectations I have for them. Next to her family, teaching is one of my mom’s biggest loves. When she was a kindergarten student herself, my mom was tasked by her own mother, a 1st grade teacher, with teaching her students to read, sparking a love of education that spanned her entire life. In her 20s, my mom turned her passion into a career when she became a 5th grade

teacher. Years later, in 2000, my mother was hired as the new 6th grade teacher at Wildwood, the same year I attended kindergarten in the Pods. Twenty-six years later, we have reunited at the same place where it all began—this time, as colleagues. We have often remarked that we are some of the few who are lucky enough to wake up each day and do a job we love. I affectionately refer to my mom as a “warm demander” with a penchant for correct grammar. As an educator, she embodies Wildwood’s philosophy of stewarding lifelong learning. She intentionally creates inquiry-based lessons that give students the opportunity to facilitate their own learning. From teaching her students about ancient Egypt by having them create Canopic jars to becoming docents on field trips to museums, she works to deepen their understanding of cultures through immersive experiences. Over the years, my mom has seen her students become doctors, lawyers, artists, and parents. Yet, before any of these accomplishments, she saw their hearts. I, along with the rest of the Wildwood community, wish my mom a relaxing retirement filled with art, music, travel, and time to sit in her garden with family and friends.

“” I will always remember Mrs. H would have us take “big, Ujjayi breaths” to center ourselves before class. Sometimes I still tell myself to take a “big, Ujjayi breath” when I need to refocus or calm down. I loved that she was teaching us a coping skill and way to center and refocus at such a young age. She has such an amazing way of captivating the class and I am very lucky I got to be her student.

—ANNABELLA DE MEO ‘09

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