Faculty Spotlight: Erin Smith

Innovative, committed, and compassionate. Those are just a few of the many words colleagues use to describe Erin Smith. This bright and enthusiastic teacher joined Canterbury School six years ago, and now she is stepping into a new leadership role. She will join the Upper School Administration as Assistant Head of Upper School in addition to continuing her phenomenal work as Dean of Faculty.
Erin has her Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction and her master’s degree in Secondary Language Arts Education from Piedmont College. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from Miami University of Ohio. Erin joined the Canterbury community in August of 2015 to teach English in our Middle School. Not only has she shown her dedication to the success of our students, but she has also quickly become an encouraging role model among our faculty.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE about Erin’s background and family, what she is looking forward to in her new role, plus some fun facts you may not know about her. READ BELOW for more information about Erin. 

Tell us more about your background in education.
"I went to college at Miami University of Ohio. When I graduated I wanted to escape the cold and not have to scrape the ice off my car windshield, so I moved down to Atlanta to open a brand new high school in the suburbs of Atlanta called Peachtree Ridge High School. I taught there for 11 years and I was the department chair and also ran the gifted program for the school in addition to teaching lots of different English classes. When we moved down to Florida for my husband's job, that's when I discovered Canterbury and came here to teach Middle School English."

What have you learned from your time at Canterbury?
“I have learned that it is really important to get to know everybody on a personal level. Also, to be more of a servant leader, especially in a leadership role. I try not to ask anyone to do something that I wouldn’t do myself. I also try to make sure I listen more than I talk which is sometimes hard.”
 
What are you most proud of?
“I am really proud of being named a Teacher of the Year Finalist at my high school in Georgia. It was a very large high school and there were lots of teachers, so that was definitely an honor. The next thing that I am proud of is coming to Canterbury and being a member of the faculty here. Taking the step of becoming Dean of Faculty and Assistant Head of Upper School has really been an honor.”
 
What is your favorite travel destination?
“I absolutely love to travel. I have traveled with students, I have traveled with my family, and I have traveled with my kids although that’s a little scarier. Probably my favorite place that I have ever gone to was Bora Bora. We went there for our honeymoon and it was amazing. I also love going to Italy. I have been to Rome several times and that’s probably my favorite city destination. And I also love going out west to the mountains and seeing some different sights and feeling the cool, crisp weather.”
 
Do you have a favorite treat? 
“My favorite treat is probably Starbucks, which isn’t surprising to anyone who knows me. I also really love taking my kids for ice cream and sharing ice cream cones with them.”
 
Do you have a favorite restaurant?
“I have lots of favorite restaurants, I love going out to eat because I also hate cooking. Probably my favorite place to go is hibachi. I love the show and seeing them toss the knives in the air. I love hibachi.”
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