Hi, I’m Anne

How I teach

Science isn’t a long list of facts to be memorized. It’s a set of ideas, processes, and discoveries that connect together. Most students who struggle in science have only been handed certain pieces without being shown how they fit together and why. I help students slow down and build those connections. We draw it out, talk it through, and tie it back to something they already understand.

I also try to keep things light and fun. 30 years has taught me that a student who feels embarrassed isn’t learning anything. A little humor and heart makes it safe to say “I don’t understand this.” That sentence is the first step in building concepts and confidence.

“I still remember snapping a pencil in half while taking a test in middle school (don’t worry – I’ve learned a few better coping mechanisms since then!) so afraid I was not going to do well. Instead of increasing the pressure I was clearly already putting on myself, Mrs. Noel counseled me afterward … in a way I will never forget. She wanted the information to be truly absorbed in my brain, of course, but Mrs. Noel made it clear that my well-being was far more important in the grand scheme of life than one test as a 12 year old fearful of failure.”

Where my students ended up

Some of my students have gone on to careers as physicians, nurses, researchers, pharmacists, and veterinarians. I can’t take credit for their success. But it brings me so much joy to know that they discovered a passion for science and that it led them to fulfilling and successful careers.

• Sarah C., BSN, RN Supervisor of Clinical Operations
• Grace P. Student, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine

How I wound up in Charlotte

I moved to Charlotte a few years ago to be closer to family after retiring from the classroom. I found I missed teaching — not the meetings or grading papers, but connecting with students and fostering a love of science in them.

So that’s what I’m doing now, one student at a time.