Her Story
Ann Alfiero traced her calling to teach back to her grandfather, who instilled in her at an early age the idea that everyone has “a storehouse of talent which can be shared in order to make a difference in the world.” She began teaching science at Clark Lane Junior High School in Waterford, Connecticut in September 1962, fresh out of college and — as she put it — “the new kid on the block” in an all-male science department. She stayed at Clark Lane for her entire career, eventually designing her own 24-station laboratory as facilities were renovated to match a shift toward hands-on, investigative science teaching. As district needs changed, she volunteered to move from science into mathematics, teaching everything from pre-algebra to remedial math for grades 7 and 8.
She held a particular fondness for the middle-school age group specifically, describing the middle school child as “without a doubt unique, interesting, and most of all challenging,” and believed that age required special nurturing to build self-esteem and navigate adolescence with dignity — alongside the more traditional work of teaching reading, writing, and math.
Beyond her own classroom, she chaired the Board of Education in Norwich, Connecticut, her hometown, guiding the district through what colleagues described as a very difficult fiscal period. Her impact there was significant enough that she was later named Norwich’s “Woman of the Year.”
Beyond the Classroom
Alfiero brought subjects to life through hands-on, competitive learning activities that reached far beyond her own classroom. She ran the Stock Market Game for her math students — a learning activity that grew to include hundreds of students and combined math skills with investment strategy — and was awarded a Pfizer Corporation grant to bring computers into the game, after which her students frequently placed among the winners (her class placed third statewide in the Connecticut Joint Council for Economic Education’s competition). On the science side, she organized Clark Lane’s annual Project Night for student science projects for years, and received a joint recognition from the National Science Teachers Association and Humble Refining Corporation for “Tomorrow’s Scientists and Engineers” — recognition significant enough that she was later selected to mentor visiting science student teachers from Oxford, England.
She also co-created the S.I.P. (Situation, Idea, Personality) game with a colleague — an eighth-grade, high-cognitive learning activity weaving together science, math, and foreign language — and helped organize an annual interdisciplinary day trip to New York City for students that went on to serve as a model for other communities. As an advocate for writing across the curriculum, she had five students recognized for their writing ability, with two pieces published in the “Connecticut Student Journal,” sponsored by the University of Connecticut. Outside the classroom she served as Student Council Advisor for a decade, chaired the Clark Lane Faculty Council for ten years, managed the school store for ten years, and co-authored the student assignment notebook still used across the school.
In her community, she was elected to the Norwich Board of Education in 1983 and served eight years — the final four as chairperson — steering the district through a serious statewide budget crisis while still finding time to read to primary classrooms, judge the district spelling bee, and march in the community’s Loyalty Day parade. She also stayed active through the Democratic Town Committee, the Southeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, and volunteer work with the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia Society, Hospice, and the Heart Fund, and coached Little League girls’ softball. At school, she was known to give up her own convenience for others — at one point volunteering for a reassignment specifically to save a fellow teacher’s job.
Philosophy into Practice
Alfiero believed teaching meant “pooling talent” among students, parents, and professionals, and that the classroom should be a place where children were empowered to question and solve problems freely, rather than simply receive information. That philosophy showed up in a story she liked to tell about a former student:
“I am reminded of an anxious 13 year old who was in a panic over the number of tests he had… one day I took him aside, and told him about the gardener who was so busy planting and tending his garden that he never stopped to smell his roses… Years later, I was greeted with, ‘Hi Mrs. A – remember me? It’s me, Chris, the one you taught to stop and smell the roses.'”— from her Philosophy of Teaching statement
She described that moment as the one that reaffirmed her belief that she’d chosen the right profession — a philosophy she summed up simply: “I teach to make a difference.” Decades later, her own students echoed the same impression in their own words, when asked what they thought of her:
“She’s fair, nice, and funny.” “She will take time and help you – over and over again.” “We went to the computer lab and worked. She makes math fun.” “She’s structured – we know what she expects of us.” “She cares about kids!”— Clark Lane students, quoted in Marguerite Glidden’s letter of recommendation
In Her Own Words
“A teacher is a beautiful resource, but must be willing to grow, both personally and professionally, just as a sapling which eventually develops into a magnificent tree… one must be willing to give and work hard to become a mighty oak, rather than a willow.”— from her essay, “A Classroom Teacher”
“When one child smiles or says ‘I got it!,’ you know that you have taught today what will be needed tomorrow. Thus, the art of teaching allows ordinary people to create an extraordinary work of art – a human masterpiece.”— from her essay, “The Art/Science of Teaching”
What Other Said
“Anna S. Alfiero most significantly impacts on her students by challenging them to reach their potential and beyond. She expects excellence and she lovingly and enthusiastically supplies the support needed for their adventure in learning.”— Patricia E. Jordan, Nominator
“Anna has been an outstanding mathematics teacher. She actively involves students in their own learning, and her creativity ensures the success of each pupil. She has earned the respect of her students, her professional colleagues, and the parents of her students… As Chairman, she has guided Norwich through a very difficult fiscal period and has worked tirelessly on behalf of that district’s students.”— David L. Cattanach, Superintendent, Waterford Public Schools
“Ann Alfiero is a teacher par excellence. She is conscientious, diligent, energetic, and humorous. No task is undoable, and every task is done well… To her, every child can be reached and taught and made to feel valuable. Each child is worthy and each child is special.”— Sondra M. Cohen, French Teacher, Clark Lane Junior High School
“I first met Anna Alfiero when I was twelve years old, in the eighth grade… I know now for a fact that Anna Alfiero is a well respected professional… You see, this ‘young,’ energetic, and caring nominee has been my colleague at Clark Lane Junior High for the past seventeen years. I have known of no other person who has ever cared or done as much for the students and staff of a school.”— Marguerite S. Glidden, Former Student and Colleague
“A few years ago, Mrs. Alfiero volunteered to a change in her assignment in order to save a fellow teacher’s job… I would recommend her without hesitation for recognition in The National Teachers Hall of Fame. She has been an asset to our school community for these many years.”— D. Harold Goldberg, Principal, Clark Lane Junior High School
“Ann has served above and beyond the call of duty this year. The country’s recession, the 2.7 billion dollar State of Connecticut deficit, and the taxpayer’s outcry for no new taxes, has required a level of expertise and professionalism the likes of which very few individuals have been able to handle. She has not only responded with outstanding leadership, but has been the ‘glue’ holding all parties together.”— William Juzwic, Superintendent, Norwich Public Schools