Rita DeBrito Interview

Interview with Rita DeBrito, “Once a teacher, always a teacher. It’s my life!”
Director of the San Miguel Summer Science
By Kirby Feagan & Melissa Lawrence
Date: June 3, 2008


Rita DeBrito has accomplished many things in her life. She has been a bilingual teacher for over 30 years, She was a mentor for the New York City Board of Education and an adjunct professor in most of New York City’s teaching colleges, including Columbia University, Before moving to San Miguel, she raised Dutch Belted rabbits on her farm in Vermont, she took flying lessons, was a bee keeper and learned how to hand glide and sheet shoot. Currently she is the Co-Founder and Director of Science Camp San Miguel, which offers summer science camps to kids ages 8-12.

We first met Rita when she taught science for our home-schooling cooperative here in San Miguel two years ago. Before Rita entered our lives, we thought science was boring. Now we know it can be fun and interesting. She is a great teacher with a gift to inspire and motivate her students with ease. It didn’t take long for us to admire and adore her. That’s why we choose to interview Rita.


M&K: What got you inspired to learn about science?
RD: My students. When I started teaching in 1972 in New York, I noticed that the kids didn’t care. Learning and teaching were boring so I stepped back and I took my kids lead and I noticed that all the boys were playing with batteries and cars and I said to myself, “Hey, that’s science.” When I realized that what they were interested in was science, I went back to school and took courses on physics, chemistry, aerodynamics and biology to become a better teacher.

M&K: What has been your greatest achievement in life?
RD: Oh good griefess Americanas! There have been a lot but I was invited to go to the White House to talk to Al Gore and Richard Riley about urban education. That was a pretty good accomplishment.

M&K: What is your favorite age of students to teach?
RD: I really like them around 12 and up. I also like teaching graduate students because they are focused and they know what they want to learn.

M&K: What brought you to San Miguel and what do you enjoy most about living here?
RD: 911 was basically in my backyard; Bush stole the election; the economics of living in New York was overwhelming and I turned 55 and was able to retire, so all of that pointed South. I love the outdoors, the weather, the people, the pace, and I love the small town.

M&K: Tell me about the science camp. Where did you get the idea to start the summer science camps? How many years have you been doing it? When does it start this summer?
RD: I got the idea to do it because I still want to share with kids my love of science and that’s what I do best and a lot of these kids here don’t get the opportunity to learn about this stuff. We’re going into our third year. This year Cesar Arias, (need his title here) is closing off the boveda at El Charco de Ingenio for the camp, but it won’t be ready until the summer of 2009 so this year we are doing a science club in the biblioteca.

M&K: What is your favorite word and why?
RD: I love words. I love to play with words….a favorite word? I love to talk…..My favorite word? I don’t have one. Onomatopoeia , that’s a good word. Kerplop, bang, smash, kablooey!

M&K: Do you have any regrets in life?
RD: No. Having regrets is a waste of time.

M&K: What career did you want to have when you were younger?
RD: I wanted to be a surgeon. It didn’t occur to me to become a teacher until I was almost married to my husband.

M&K: Who is your greatest influence in life?
RD: I think my dad. He taught me that there isn’t anything I couldn’t do.

M&K: What words or phrases do you most overuse?
RD: I catch myself before I say anything too much. I say, “That’ll do,” to my dog a lot. I say, “guacala,” a lot.

M&K: What is your greatest fear?
RD: I don’t have any. What’s there to be afraid of. Does a woman who drives alone from New York to san Miguel in a miata sound like she has any fears?

M&K: What is your motto?
RD: Have fun!

M&K: What are the best and worst things about working with teenagers?
RD: The best thing is that even thought they want you to think they’re not listening, they really are. The worst thing is getting past all the nonsense teens go through.

M&K: How many years have you been a teacher?
RD: More than 30 if you count my tutoring and science camp. Once a teacher, always a teacher. It’s not just a job, it’s my life.

M&K: What is your favorite topic within science to teach?
RD: I love teaching physics, biology, experimenting. I love teaching and everything in life is science. Everything!

M&K: Where do you hope the summer science program will be in five years from now?
RD: My hopes are that it will be institutionalized, that I’ll have young people prepared to carry on what they’ve learned and be interested in learning more about science.

M&K: Did science always interest you as a kid?
RD: I was always a naturalist. I was always looking for snails and squirrels. I’ve always been fascinated by everything.

M&K: What is your favorite memory of teaching?
RD: I have a million so that’s tough. I once was teaching a kid how to add and subtract using cuisenrods and all of a sudden he says, “I get it!” but he had a pencil in his hand and he jabbed my eye. I think I had to wear an eye patch for three months but it was great because he understood. But this was the best one: I never used to teach from the text book so I had my students working with ramps and balls to determine which balls travel the farthest and they had to graph their findings. I was checking on their work and one kid looked at me and said, “We haven’t done math in a very long time.” She didn’t think we were doing math because we never open the text book. I said, “Shhh…don’t tell anybody.”

M&K: How does your life in San Miguel compare to your life in New York? RD: My life here is a lot easier, of course. I’m not working…that helps. It’s so hard to park in New York. I had a good life there and I have a great life here. But now it’s just easier and I have the outdoors which I adore.

Information Box
Science Camp San Miguel Presents: Summer Science Camps at the Biblioteca
Dates: July 14 - August 1, 2008 (confirm)
Location: La Biblioteca Publica, Insurgentes #25
For more information, go to: www.sciencecampsanmiguel.com
Or email: sciencecampsma@gmail.com (confirm)
Or call La Biblioteca Publica: 152- (get # and confirm it’s the right one)