Annabelle Aber

Annabelle Aber became part of Renbrook’s Beginning School community in Fall 2024 as a Kindergarten Partner Teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Skidmore College, where she also pursued a double major in Dance Performance and Choreography. Her undergraduate thesis centered on social-emotional learning, reflecting her deep commitment to nurturing the whole child.

Annabelle’s professional journey has been grounded in both education and the arts. She spent four years as a preschool teaching assistant at the Skidmore College Early Childhood Center, eight years teaching dance to students ranging from age three through adulthood at Nutmeg’s Dance and Theatre, two years serving as a peer mentor to support and guide new college students, and time working as a daycare provider for toddlers. These varied experiences strengthened her belief that education is rooted in empathy, responsiveness, and relationship building.

She chose to work in education because of her intrinsic desire to help others and her understanding that a good teacher can profoundly shape a young life. Raised by teachers, Annabelle grew up recognizing that educators hold the delicate responsibility of offering unconditional care. She believes that children must feel safe, valued, and understood before they are ready to learn. Her teaching philosophy centers on building trusting and honest relationships and responding to students’ interests, curiosities, and needs. By taking a holistic view of each child’s emotional, physiological, intellectual, and social development, she creates space for meaningful exploration and growth.

What Annabelle cherishes most about Renbrook is its small, tight-knit community. The time she is given to welcome each child individually, sit alongside them at snack, and understand their unique experiences allows her to connect deeply with students and families. These daily moments of connection shape her teaching and strengthen her relationships with her class.

Outside the classroom, Annabelle continues to express her creativity and love of movement through dance, a lifelong passion that she believes offers a powerful way to understand and express the world. She also enjoys reading, spending time with her friends and family, and caring for her sweet, silly cat. Her two big brothers, her baby niece, and her extended family are central to her life. Known among friends for her very popular secret guacamole recipe, she brings the same warmth and joy to gatherings as she does to her classroom. Inspired by the quote, “Those who are loved at home come to school to learn, and those who are not, come to school to be loved,” Annabelle approaches each day with compassion, purpose, and gratitude.