Dani Faltraco ‘24: Teaching Through Connection

For UMF graduate Dani Faltraco ’24, who earned her degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in English, one of the most meaningful parts of teaching begins long before a student ever gives an assignment, assessment, or piece of feedback.

“A realization I’ve come to in my young teaching career is the value of creating connections with students,” says Dani. “It is so important to lay the groundwork of knowing my students before one can even consider assessing their learning or giving feedback.”

Dani has just begun her second year of teaching English to 9th and 10th graders at Erskine Academy in South China, Maine. Her understanding of the importance of student connection took shape during her student-teaching experience at UMF. The relationships she developed with her students during that experience were so meaningful that they invited her to attend their high school graduation an entire year after Dani had been their student teacher. 

“The looks on their faces when they saw me in the audience were unforgettable,” she reflects. “I cried happy tears as they received their diplomas. Teaching is so fulfilling because there are little victories in the relationships that are created almost every day.”

For Dani, moments like these capture what makes teaching so meaningful: the relationships teachers build with their students can extend far beyond the classroom. 

If her classroom could have one rule inspired by her UMF experience, it would be simple: Try everything.

“UMF and my classroom both encourage folks to leave their comfort zones and to approach every experience with an open mind,” she notes. 

The philosophy extends to her students. She encourages them to take risks and engage with new experiences. It also reflects what she learned about herself as a college student developing her identity as a teacher. 

“Developing an identity as a teacher and navigating college experiences is challenging, and it’s okay to mess up,” she says. 

Today, Dani carries that perspective with her into her second year in the classroom. The lessons she learned at UMF continues to shape not only how she teaches English, but how she sees her students: as individuals who want to be seen, supported, and challenged. 

Dani’s experience is a reminder that the impact of a teacher can extend well beyond the classroom, and sometimes, well beyond the school year.