Susannah Boersma

2025 Yale & Slavery Teachers Institute Cohort Member

My name is Susannah Boersma and I teach ELA at Manhattan East School for Arts & Academics in New York City. I teach 7th and 8th grade ELA to students from all five boroughs.
Having used The Crucible in my curriculum in the past, I would like to delve deeper into the themes from a more critical view. Miller’s classic is engaging to students because of the dialogue-driven story and the dramatic courtroom scenes.This play, when taught thoughtfully, allows us to consider the historical reality of slavery, assess ongoing portrayal of it, and analyze the lasting echoes upon our world today.
In my unit revisions through the summer institute, I hope to focus particularly on the character of Tituba, Miller’s fictional rendering of a real historical figure. Students will be asked to consider Tituba through a critical lens and rewrite her story from a new perspective.