When I asked several of Ms. Fontanone’s students to describe her in a single word, the first response I received was, “you can’t.” Passionate, unique, and inspiring are only some of the words students use to begin to capture one of the English Department’s prized members.
Ms. Fontanone has been a member of the Stone Ridge community for 10 years now, earning a reputation for being dryly humorous, passionate, and challenging. When not in her classroom after school reading over papers and helping students analyze literary texts, she is at the gym or the athletic field cheering on Stone Ridge sports teams. Ms. Fontanone, who describes herself as a rabid sports fan, assists many Stone Ridge teams through her cheering and constructive criticism. Her positive influence and involvement with the school community as a member of the SCG Good Samaritan, regular volunteer at Food and Friends, Co-Social Action Reflection leader, and Honor Board faculty member, among other roles, enables her to form relationships with students she hasn’t had the opportunity to teach.
Outside of school, Ms. Fontanone’s interests include spending time with her two rescue dogs and gathering pieces to add to her 1,000-piece snow village set she has been collecting since she was 4-years-old to put up every Christmas season. Anyone who knows Ms. Fontanone could tell you that the only thing she takes more pride in than her dogs is her students. Above all else she contributes to the Stone Ridge community, Ms. Fontanone leaves an impression on every student she teaches by giving them the confidence to critically analyze the world of literature with a new eye.
Maddie Carr: Did you grow up around here?
Ms. Fontanone: No, I am originally from New York, born and raised. We moved to Long Island when I was in the first grade.
MC: When did you decide that you wanted to be a teacher?
SF: I actually never wanted to be a teacher. I was in graduate school pursuing my PhD for modern literature at the University of Alabama. I really just wanted to be a professor and to write books and scholarly articles, but as part of the Hudson Strode Fellowship, we had to teach a class. I guess it was once I was teaching a class and leading a discussion, that […] I was really enjoying what I was doing, really enjoying hearing students insights. So, I guess I would say August 2013 was when I wanted to become a teacher. Is that a good answer? Do I sound pretentious?
[I laugh and say no]. MC: Tell me more about the Hudson strode program.
SF: It’s like a real legit thing. You know, everyone just hears the University of Alabama, but the Hudson Strode program is pretty legit. It specializes in early modern literature, so Shakespeare, Milton, things like that. Things I love.The director of the program when I was enrolled was the general editor of the Oxford Shakespeare and the Oxford Middleton, Gary Taylor. He’s a pretty big deal. So then he left to go to Florida State right after I completed my masters thesis. I wanted to continue to work with him, but no chance I was going to go to Florida State; I’m never going to root for the Seminoles–I peaced out. Roll Tide!
SF: I don’t sound pretentious?
[I assure her she does not]. MC: So then what led you to SR? Did you teach at other schools before you came here?
SF: Well, I taught at Alabama for two years when I was finishing up my masters. Then I went and taught in Boca Raton, Florida, [laughs] where old people go to die. It was at a parochial school. Don’t write the name of the school; I don’t want people to look me up on like rate my teachers.com or something. I taught there for a year because my friend Henry was working there, so he got me an interview. And then after that, that school was not really working out. I was teaching all seniors, mostly AP British Lit. That was great. The students were great. But then I just started applying to different places up and down the east coast, but mostly towards the north. I was actually in town for an interview at Holy Child, and I was on my way back to New York when I got a call from Stone Ridge asking if I wanted to come in for an interview, and I did. I almost didn’t when I found out the job was for an American Literature position because British Literature is really my specialty and my primary passion. I was literally on my way back in the Inner Harbour tunnel when I got the call.
MC: What is one thing you hope students take away from being in your class?
SF: More confidence in themselves. More confidence in their abilities to articulate themselves in writing or through class discussion on difficult texts and difficult concepts. That’s what I hope students take away from my class. My class is notoriously difficult, and I think it’s not really that hard. I think what’s hard with my class is that it can sometimes rattle your confidence, but by the end, students are far more confident than when they came in. They need genuine constructive criticism so that they start holding themselves accountable [Pause]. I want my students to stop trying to please their teachers. Just write for you, because if a teacher is doing their job, you will never please them, because they will always want more for you. Having the confidence to know it’s a job well done for you and no one else is what I want my students to come away with.
MC: That’s a hard concept for students to wrap their heads around
SF: But I think they get it by the end. I ask them to write this exit survey, and when I ask them, “what’s the most important concept you have learned in this class?” 90% of the time it has nothing to do with literature. It’s something like, “I’ve learned that I’m not always going to be first, but I’ve got to be best for myself. They learn about themselves, not, “oh, Gatsby chases the green light.”
MC: What is the best thing about teaching?
SF: The best thing is student insights and actually getting to see your students grow. I’m always amazed at how much students grow over the course of a year, sophomores especially. When they come back junior year, they are different people; it’s really wonderful to see.
MC: What is the hardest thing about teaching?
SF: If we’re talking philosophically, I think the hardest thing about being a teacher is drawing that line between rigor and being impossible, and knowing that it’s not the only class that your students are taking. Being human and being a teacher is something difficult, and I think it’s something that I have learned over 10 years of working here. I used to be really impossible and not realize that my students had other side commitments, but now I get it. I think you know you’re doing a good job if your students like the subject, are still curious, are learning, and know that you care about them. I think that’s very different then when I first started out.
[Seemingly horrified] SF: Oh my God, are you getting the human side of Stephany Fontanone in this article? Is that what you’re capturing?
[Smiles] MC: What is the wildest thing you have ever heard happen or witnessed at Stone Ridge?
SF: I’ve heard that rumor about that student who tried to burn down Manfuso, but that was way before my time. Most of the wild stuff I’ve ever heard about is before my time, mostly in stories that I heard from Mrs. Marks and Mr. Duffy.
MC: So you think it’s gotten less wild here?
SF: Oh absolutely [laughs]. Everyone is too worried about their grades and taking SAT prep practices to do anything wild. Yeah, people are too afraid to get in trouble. I was the senior class dean for the class of 2012, and they were awesome. I mean their pranks were epic. They pulled all the desks from the classrooms outside, and it was awesome. It was disruptive, but it was all good fun. They wrote nice notes for all the teachers [Pause]. Stephany Fontanone is wildly self-conscious about that article–are you going to start it out like that?
MC: Is there one thing that you’re very passionate about that people may not know?
SF: I’m like two different people in and outside of school. I’m a rabid sports fan, but you would know that if you ever saw me at a game. I don’t know. English is my second language. I went into school speaking a little from Sesame Street and stuff, but I learned mostly from just being immersed in an English-speaking school in kindergarten. I don’t have a New York accent because my parents spoke Italian at home, so I never picked up an accent. My sister was born [in Italy], and I was born here in America.
Throughout our interview, Ms. Fontanone regularly finished each response with the question, “Do I sound pretentious?” Although I laughed and assured her she did not, this later brought me to an important conclusion about Ms. Fontanone. Just as she explained to me that high schoolers should write for themselves, because a good teacher always wants more for her students, it became apparent that she, herself, always wants more–editing herself, checking my reaction to her responses, and always looking back to add on to answers she had already given me. It is clear that Ms. Fontanone questions not out of self-consciousness, but rather a constant personal awareness–one that drives her to improve and better herself.