Faculty Unscripted: Dettey Audette
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Amanda “Dettey” Audette joined the faculty in 2021.
Amanda “Dettey” Audette joined the faculty in 2021. She teaches history, helps lead the Student Success Center, and mentors girls in Wayland Hall as a dorm parent.
What are your primary roles at MSA?
Student Success Center, History Department Chair, Wayland Dorm Parent
What made you decide to live and work on the Hill?
When I first learned about Miller, it was immediately clear that the community looks at each individual student and identifies how they can best support them on their educational and life journey. This collaborative approach has been a pillar of my teaching philosophy for over a decade, so to be in an environment that truly looks to meet students where they are and guide them to be the best version of themselves is an amazing and rewarding opportunity.
Most memorable teaching, coaching, or student-life experience?
My first mentor teacher often referenced a quote from the Pedagogic Creed by John Dewey. “Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.” Those who teach must be the catalyst for educational revision, making the commitment to becoming lifelong learners who are willing to adapt and embrace change throughout their careers. It is the charge of the educator to fit into many different roles including: mentor, facilitator, and advisor; emphasizing the need to challenge and question the scholastic and social environment.
With this quote in mind, I entered into my first experiences building a curriculum from the ground up. There were no textbooks, and no standard based guidance. Instead, my master teacher and I had seminal moments in history where we were going to highlight and create new assignments and projects each day to fit the needs of each class. This creative approach to curriculum building, and freedom to approach teaching history in a variety of different ways, solidified my goal of becoming a part of the independent school system of education.
If you were not an educator, what would you be?
Chef / Food Critic
Favorite aspect of living on campus?
I love the lifestyle that comes with living on campus and in the Wayland Dorm. We as educators try to look at students holistically, not just as students but as people who have varying backgrounds, interests, needs, and worldviews. Living on campus allows for students to view me in the same way. They can see me during the school day in the classroom and in the SSC, but they can also see me with my family, at night while on duty, and on the weekends. They learn that I like to workout in the afternoon, walk to the farm to interact with the animals, read outside, and much more. Living on campus creates so many more opportunities for me to build relationships and memories with students on the hill beyond the four walls of the classroom.
Most memorable lesson learned from students at MSA?
Over the past year and a half at Miller, I have seen some wonderful moments of students taking care of each other. If one student is having a hard day, other students are there to support them. Recently, I have had the joy of watching several students interact with faculty children around special holidays and birthdays. Watching Miller students be so caring, thoughtful, and selfless with children so much younger than them is truly inspiring. These memories have served as a great reminder of how I want to build relationships and trust with students on a daily basis.
Favorite place to go or thing to do on MSA’s 1,600-acre campus?
I love afternoon walks in the fall and the spring while disc golf is a great way to get some extra activity and competition throughout the week! I also love seeing the evening lights of the baseball stadium because they remind me of when I played softball in college.
Movie you have watched the most times in your life?
A League of Their Own continues to be an all time favorite movie for me to watch annually. It combines my love for baseball and historical events, retelling the amazing story of the all women baseball league created amongst the backdrop of World War II. One of my favorite quotes from this film continues to be guiding words for me in my daily life when faced with challenges and difficult times. “It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”
Dream trip?
Scotland & France for both the historical sites and to learn more about our family lineage.
Pets?
Unfortunately, we do not have any pets living with us on campus. We do have two Cane Corso Italian Mastiffs living with our family in Indiana, and we often video chat and visit to make sure they are healthy and happy pups!
What did you want to do when you grew up (when you were in high school)?
Growing up there were two things that I knew I wanted to do with my life at an early age. The first one seems pretty obvious when at age 3 I received an easel and chalkboard for Christmas. It was that gift that triggered countless hours spent teaching my audience of stuffed animals and teddy bears the great mysteries of life that a child can know but no one else can understand through the garbled speech of a toddler.
The other life calling came a little later. At age 4, I took my first steps onto a softball diamond and my life was changed forever. To say it was love at first sight would be cliché and also an understatement. My first real experience teaching occurred on the softball diamond when I began coaching younger pitchers at the age of 16. Even at a young age and with no formal educational training, I began to realize how each player needed different approaches and types of communication in order for them to learn the same skills. I also found great fulfillment when my players were successful in achieving their goals and learning new aspects of the game. These memories are significant moments in my educational journey as it began to shape my understanding of how to approach teaching in an individualized and differentiated type of way.
