STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Erika Danou-Hasan
ERIKA DANOU-HASAN
Erdkinder instructor; Lower: ELA / Upper: ELA, Humanities, College Prep & Capstone
What led you to become an educator?
I come from a family of educators; my parents, siblings, in-laws, and now, even my own children are or have all been educators. Thus, my being a teacher, while not part of my original life goals (I intended to tread the boards on Broadway!), was fated by blood. I hold a B.A. in history and drama (with a minor in music) and an M.A. in linguistics, and started my teaching career at the college level. I have also taught English as a Second Language and privately tutor(ed) in English and Swedish (although I speak Norwegian, not Swedish--an interesting conversation starter). Eventually, I discovered MANH through my children where I have taught ELA, humanities, and the fine arts in the Erdkinder program for the last many years.
What do you love about working at MANH?
It is a privilege to teach our Montessori kids–I find such joy in watching our students between the 7th and 12th grades as they mature from impressionable children into assertive young adults ready to stretch their wings and fly off to their new adventures. My mission is to prepare each child for their “next step” (whether that is their next year of middle school, high school, or college) by providing them a solid foundation in the humanities, literature, composition, and rhetoric and by teaching them how to analyze, communicate, and synthesize information by using their well-developed critical thinking skills. Additionally, I have now been on staff long enough that I am beginning to see my former students return as parents of children in the MANH primary program--and that is incredibly gratifying!
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at school?
Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family. I am the proud mother of two grown, former MANH kids, my son, Kiyan, who is currently serving in the Peace Corps, and my daughter, Kiera, who has led MANH summer camps for three summers and is currently student-teaching high school social studies. I am also a loving cat "mother" and "grandmother." All of my students know that I am passionate about all things Disney, the Green Bay Packers (Go, Pack, Go!), fun shoes, and sparkly clothing. In my spare time I enjoy writing, traveling internationally and domestically, using my Norwegian skills, watching Broadway musicals, reading, watching movies, listening to music of all genres, knitting, and floating or splashing around in any body of water larger than a puddle.