Tally Briggs

Ed.M. TEP (TAC) '05

High School English

Facts:

Tally is from Atlanta, where she plans to return to be a high school English teacher. Two weeks after graduating with a B.A. in English Literature and minor in folklore from Georgia State University, Tally headed to Mongolia for two years with the Peace Corps. She lived in a traditional Mongolian dwelling called a "ger", which is a tent made of felt and canvas, in a Mongolian village called Khar Khorin. Through the negative 50 degree winters, Tally taught English language to students age 11 to 18, as well as to monks at the local monastery. In addition to being a teacher, Tally was also a community development volunteer. Teamed with a Mongolian teacher, Tally wrote a grant proposal in English and Mongolian, obtaining funding from U.S. AID to build a small community library in her town. After 4 ½ months backpacking in Southeast Asia, Tally returned to America and worked for two years at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a nonprofit organization in Atlanta. She worked with newly arrived refugees, helping them become oriented to Atlanta, gain employment, and become self-sufficient.

After her experience in Mongolia and working with refugees, Tally was ready for graduate school. Through her experiences as a teacher and helping people, Tally realized she was born to be a teacher. A lifelong avid reader and lover of literature, Tally could see no better way to connect with and be a positive influence for America's youth than through being a high school English teacher, and she could see no better way to change the world for the better than through teaching.

Inside Scoop:

"I have done more work in two weeks here than I did in my entire undergraduate career, and that is a wonderful thing. It is not easy, and not every day is fun, but the growth and learning I am so fortunate to absorb this year will be with me for the rest of my life. Coming to Harvard is absolutely worth it, and I will never regret the decision to dedicate myself to this year of study."

"I have learned that it is not the point for your students to like you. You must be completely clear on why you are teaching and doing everything you do, and what you want your students to get out of it at the end. Your purpose is to educate your students, to empower your students, to inspire your students, through every single thing you do in the classroom."

"The fact that our program starts the summer before the academic school year means that our group of 60 or so interns has a chance to bond. We are a close, tight-knit group. I am completely impressed by every single one of my fellow interns for their intelligence, passion, and down-to-earth dedication."