Beyond the Bell
The New Teachers of Maclay’s Upper School
Martha Kutter, Becki Rutta and Kenneth Burgess are three of Maclay Upper School’s newest faculty members. Many students would not know it from seeing them in a classroom, but there is more to them than just a lecture. From unexpected hobbies to goals for the future, each teacher has a story that goes beyond their syllabus.
For Kutter, that story began with a love of dinosaurs. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she earned a Bachelor of Science in geology and geophysics. Then, she received her masters degree in evolutionary biology from the University of the Pacific. For the majority of her 20s, Kutter was a paleontologist who studied dinosaurs. As she progressed in her career, she developed a love for teaching and interacting with people. When Kutter moved to Tallahassee to teach at Maclay, she taught sixth grade world geography. However, this year, Kutter moved up to the Upper School, teaching Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology and AP Biology.
“I never looked back,” Kutter said. “Getting up and going to work is a joy every day. I think that’s the thing I took from it: find something that you love and it’s not work.”
One of Kutter’s goals this year is to help students apply what they learn to their real life. In her AP Biology class, she enjoys teaching students how to use biology equipment and showing them current research related to the topic they are learning. In her Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology class, she brings in guest speakers from sports therapy, physical therapy and nursing to inspire students to consider careers in these fields.
“My goal is to bring in many guest speakers,” Kutter said. “I want students to feel inspired. I also would love to do field trips.”
Outside of school, Kutter’s interests are not limited to biology. She loves watching “Gilmore Girls” and “Arrested Development,” gardening, visiting plant nurseries and spending time with her family. A surprising hobby of Kutter’s is her skill in martial arts. She has a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has trained with a professional boxer.
“I love to be in my yard, and I love to plant,” Kutter said. “I do a lot of gardening with pollinating flowers. During the weekends, I love to visit Native Nurseries and be with my family.”
For Kutter’s students, her positive and kind personality is one of the first things they notice.
“Mrs. Kutter is a very kind, trustworthy person that is a joy to be around,” Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology student Rachel Morris said. “She is very supportive and helpful and cares for all of us even if we are not one of her students.”
While Kutter spends her free time gardening, Rutta loves taking photos and spending time with her family. Rutta achieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University for her masters in finance. Prior to becoming a teacher, she was a Maclay parent and volunteered with the Maclay Association by designing Lower School doors and part of Maclay’s library. When the position for the Upper School art teacher opened, Rutta took the opportunity to teach Digital Photography and Design, Ceramics l and ll and AP Art and Design.
“In being a volunteer, I met a lot of teachers,” Rutta said. “I grew into that environment and fell in love with the space. So, when the job became available, I thought to myself: why don’t I combine it all? My kids can now come up with me, and I can be on campus with them, be in this community and then also teach what I love.”
Rutta’s goal for her students is exposure to the art community. She has invited guest speakers to visit her ceramic classes and planned a field trip for her AP Art students to visit Florida State University’s Museum of Fine Arts.
“My goal is to get my students either out in the community or exposed to our local artists,” Rutta said. “Art is not created in a vacuum; we need to be out looking, meeting and making.”
In her free time, Rutta enjoys watching “Annie” with her two daughters, reading history novels, running and photography. One of her photography works, “Women Among Us,” was showcased in a local gallery. Through the project, she captured stories and emotions of underrepresented older women in the community.
In the classroom, Rutta’s students notice her creative and fun personality.
“My first impression of Mrs. Rutta was that she was fun, creative and artsy,” Ceramics l student Anna Fitzpatrick said. “In the classroom, she is laidback and lets you express yourself freely through the movement of art.”
Just as Rutta loves photography, Burgess has his own way of spending time beyond the classroom. Growing up, Burgess dreamed of becoming an air force pilot. However, due to his vision, Burgess pursued a career as a history professor. Graduating with a masters in history from Georgia Southern University, Burgess worked as an adjunct professor at Georgia Perimeter. When he moved to Florida, he taught at Robert F. Monroe Day School before moving to Maclay to teach sixth grade geography. This year, Burgess transferred to the Upper School, teaching Honors Geography and Honors Modern World History and Geography.
“From high school and onwards, I was very interested in History,” Burgess said. “I always saw myself as being a professor and probably teaching something world history related.”
With the new school year starting, Burgess has goals for his students and for himself. For his students, Burgess’s goal is to help them develop their own perspectives and become confident and engaged in different aspects of history. Personally, he hopes to become familiar with his students’ academic accommodations and fully adjust to the Upper School.
“It’s really interesting to watch how [historical knowledge] develops within students,” Burgess said. “They start off as unsure, but, by the end of the year, they have their own opinions and they’re articulating how they feel back and forth. A goal for me is to become fully familiar with all of my students’ accommodations and make sure that everything is CAE compliance. Another goal is to get fully acclimated to being in the Upper School.”
Burgess’s interests and hobbies go beyond history. In his free time, he loves playing pool, swimming and barbequing on the weekends. He also enjoys watching “Jurassic Park (1993),” “Lord of the Rings” and “The Lion King (1994).” Something that might surprise students is Burgess being a gamer. When he was young, he loved playing games, such as “Crash Bandicoot,” “Spyro the Dragon” and “Tekken.” Today, Burgess’s favorite game is “Final Fantasy X,” an RPG game that combines combat with a story-driven plot.
“My favorite RPG game is Final Fantasy 10,” Burgess said. “I love a game that takes me away and immerses me into a different world.”
Burgess’s students have fun in class because of his positive personality.
“Mr. Burgess’s personality in the classroom is very fun,” Honors Geography student Elivette Arriso said. “He makes lots of jokes during his lectures and is very free. His assignments are also very fun to do, like the time where we got into groups and made our own business.”
Every teacher brings more to Maclay than just a subject, lecture or lesson. For these three new teachers, their lives go beyond school, shaping them into the people students see every day. The bell may mark the start of their day, but it does not define the person standing at the front of the classroom.
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