Ms. Birge-Liberman seeks to inspire students to think critically, work cooperatively, communicate clearly, and give back to their communities. A National Geographic Certified Educator, Birge-Liberman worked as a middle school science department chair for nine years, and a biology teacher in Massachusetts for nine years. In addition to her extensive classroom experience, she worked as Choate’s director of Summer Oceanography Institute, a director of residential summer camp at Project Oceanology in Groton, and an education specialist at the Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Illinois. She has developed interdisciplinary collaborations and supports problem and project-based learning so that the material comes to life for her students.

After finishing her undergraduate degree at Tufts University, Samantha spent a year working as a teaching fellow at Phillips Exeter Academy, where she taught Latin, coached intramural squash, and lived in a girls’ dormitory. After her one-year internship at Exeter, she completed a two-year master’s degree program at UMass Amherst. Travel has been an essential part of her learning as both a student and a teacher. While at Tufts, she spent four months living in Athens and later lived in Rome for two months during the summer of 2015. “Both of these experiences shaped the way I approach my subject and the lessons in my classroom,” she said. Samantha enjoys being outside on hikes or bike rides, doing yoga, and reading books about the zombie apocalypse.