About Ms. Farenga

For Day Farenga, the best part about teaching is when a student’s “light bulb” goes on.

“I love that “ah ha!” moment when a student’s face lights up and they suddenly understand something that had previously been confusing,” she says. “They are so proud and relieved and literally a light bulb goes off and they are smarter than they were 3 minutes ago.”

Ms. Farenga, who holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Boston College and a master’s degree from Lesley University, has been making light bulbs turn on for more than twenty years and loves it.

She says she enjoys getting others interested and informed about the world around them and she likes working with upper grades students on the cusp of being young adults just as much as she likes helping middle school students learn how to become good students and citizens.

“I believe that children are naturally curious about the world around them and they want to learn,” says the Medford, Massachusetts native. “I believe when a child asks a probing question, you have their full attention for your succinct answer. I believe if you start to do something like fixing a bike, humming while cooking, or check the underside of a mushroom, that a child will naturally want to join in on your fun…and learn happily. The joy of learning can be infectious.”

She says teachers at CCSC are very aware of different learning styles (visual, kinesthetic, social, etc.) and they teach to students using as many styles as possible. “Parents can learn about their children’s learning style as well to help with homework and to make family interactions improve,” she says. “For example, if a student struggles with memory, they could create mnemonics to remember parts of a cell, and to remember how to check they have everything before they leave for school.”