Alison Manzer

English & History Teacher/Mentor

Alison teaches History and English at Fusion. She has a passion for books and for connecting readers of all ages with the perfect book. Alison’s extensive teaching experience ranges from preschool to high school. Most recently, she taught a course on one of her own favorite books, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, in a virtual classroom to students from around the United States and beyond, and at a local homeschool academy. In addition, for the past five summers, she has served as a presenter at Taproot, an annual Waldorf inspired workshop for educators.

Alison specializes in really understanding students and zeroing in on what helps them see for themselves the joy of intellectual discovery. One of her favorite quotes is by St. Francis: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” She has both observed in her students and experienced for herself the power of accomplishing big things by taking small, doable steps. Her own journey of intellectual discovery was nurtured at the University of Chicago, where she completed a Bachelor’s in History degree (Phi Beta Kappa). Her teaching seeks to inspire the head and the heart, and draws on a wide-range of pedagogical approaches, classic texts, the arts, and film to secure students’ engagement and commitment.

Originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Alison, along with her husband and three sons (now grown), has lived in Austin since 2008. When she is not teaching, you can find her meandering around Austin. She enjoys browsing the local bookstores, going out for Ethiopian and Indian food, and listening to the Blues at the Skylark lounge.