Alumni Spotlight: Anne Waller
“Above all, I have had the pleasure of working with so many children over the years from various countries. I think this is what I will miss the most!”
Meet Anne Waller, Lower School teacher, retiring this year after working at ISA for 30 years.
How did your time at ISA impact your life?
My first position at ISA was job-sharing in Grade 2 with Margaret van Berkel. With 11 years of Middle School experience, in Washington State and Curaçao, my learning curve was high. But with Margaret’s help, I made the transition to teaching younger children. I learned so much from her over the years – THANK YOU! I loved my years in Grade 2 and Kindergarten. Being part of an amazing Grade 1 team for nine years was wonderful.
Above all, I have had the pleasure of working with so many children over the years from various countries. I think this is what I will miss the most!
What are some of your most memorable moments at ISA?
I began my ISA career as an occasional substitute in the Lower School in 1996. My second day in the new building welcomed Prins Willem Alexander for the official opening! I was asked to keep the Grade 5 students, that I’d never even met, quiet in the hall before they went on stage to sing for the presentation.
Another highlight in Grade 2 was the annual sleepover. We didn’t get much sleep but it was always fun!
Also, I was able to dive back into teaching swimming while I worked part-time in the classroom. In my first year coaching for the swim team we trained two mornings per week at 7:00 in the morning. With 50 swimmers in two lanes, we could never do any more than 50 meters. I proposed that we rent the entire pool from 6-7 and that’s when the program really grew! I worked with various P.E. teachers and outside coaches over the years. I persuaded one young man I knew from the local swim club to help in 2014 and Rodrigo now is a beloved member of our school community.
When my son, Kevin, switched to ISA in Grade 9 he got up early to join his mom at the pool. We enjoyed flying to both Stavanger and Stockholm twice each and Captain Waller was our KLM pilot for a couple of those journeys.
What is your current career, and why did you choose that path? What advice do you have for others looking to enter your field of work?
I first worked with children as a swimming teacher/lifeguard and coach beginning in 1979 at the local city pool. It was my summer job while I attended university. The kids at the pool influenced my decision to pursue a career in teaching, changing my major from Hotel and Restaurant Administration to Education. I’ve been so happy with my career choice! With a love for swimming, I have been so fortunate to teach and coach swimming over the years at ISA from Kindergarten to Grade 12! It’s come full circle; I started out working at a pool and came back to it at the end of my career. Working with various swim coaches over the years is something I will especially miss.
My husband retired over 5 years ago and after 41 years of teaching it’s now time for me to join him. We look forward to travelling whenever we want and not being locked into school holidays.
What advice or insights do you have for our current ISA students?
Join a BEARS sports team! Make exercise a part of your life and don’t set it aside in Grades 11 and 12 when you’ll need it most. There are so many positive experiences by being part of a team… exercise, sportsmanship, and socialising!
The ISA Alumni Spotlight series aims to showcase the journeys of individuals in our student, teacher and parent alumni communities. We ask them to reflect on how ISA made an impact on their life, and to share their advice on how to carry the mission of international understanding.
