Fallon Smith ’26: Ready for the Classroom

Fallon Smith ‘26 is ready to get to work. She started her first week of school as a Math and STEM teacher at T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School, where she is looking forward to putting her classroom experience and education to use with her own students. After years of coursework and field experiences, her attitude heading into her first year of teaching can be summed up in one phrase: “Put me in, coach.”

Much of Fallon’s preparation for teaching came through hands-on experiences as a student at UMF, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in mathematics. Field experiences gave her an opportunity to work in real classrooms and see what teaching looks like day-to-day. She also developed skills in connecting with students, differentiating instruction, and planning lessons around clear learning objectives.

Those experiences have shaped how she thinks about her own classroom and what it will look like as she moves into her first year of teaching. A lesson by one of her professors on flexible seating and group work helped her consider how different classroom arrangements and groupings can support students. Today, Fallon’s classroom is designed around group work, with the tables grouped together to seat 3-4 students and create a collaborative learning environment. 

As Fallon reflects on her first week of school, she notes “It’s always a fun time building your connections with students and breaking down their shell to see the real them.”

Those connections have already shaped the way she approaches her classroom. Fallon’s classes are completely new to T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School which means she had to create her own curriculum. Now, she is getting her first opportunity to see how those plans work with real students. 

“Putting that to the test and constantly adapting it with the students’ help has been a great learning experience for me,” she says. “I feel that it is going to be a great year.”

Of course, starting a new teaching career comes with a few bumps in the road. The new curriculum comes with its challenges and with only a week of teaching under her belt, Fallon has already found things she wants to be changed. 

“I’ve already made mistakes, but showing my students that it is okay to make mistakes and own up to it deepened my connections with them,” she says. 

The willingness to learn and grow alongside her students is becoming a defining part of Fallon’s first year in the classroom. Fallon’s classroom features a large-scale sudoku where students can try their hand at solving the puzzle. “A lot more kids love Sudoku than I thought,” she says. 

It may be a small surprise, but it speaks to what Fallon hopes to accomplish throughout the year: finding ways to make learning engaging and enjoyable for her students. 

“At the end of the day all I want to do is make learning fun for students,” she says. “Although it has only been a week, I think I’m doing that.”