Former NJ Alternate Route Intern Margaux Antoine Combines Passion for Education and the Arts

Margaux Antoine grew up around educators, but had no intention of becoming a teacher. In high school, she focused on photography.

“Education was always valued, but I never felt pressured into being an educator,” Antoine said.
“It was a great foundation for who I am now, because I have always understood the value of education.”

Antoine’s interest in photography also came from her upbringing. While she didn’t grow up around artists, Antoine’s family recognized value in the arts and provided an atmosphere to create and explore artistic interests. In college, Antoine entered a photography program and started thinking more about how she wanted to apply photography to her career. 

“I didn’t want to take pictures of weddings or food,” she said. “I  wanted security, so I started exploring ways to combine my love of photography with other career interests.” 

As expected from an artist, Antoine thought outside the box and considered the experiences that shaped her up to that point. 

“I’m someone who tries to learn something from every experience and recognize what I can take from it.”

Alternate Route’s Influence 

A piece of the puzzle was Antoine’s two summers spent as a Rutgers Alternate Route intern. While the Alternate Route experience isn’t what prompted Antoine to go into teaching, connecting with candidates passionate about their teaching careers made an impact.

“Working with the candidates was one of my most treasured memories of those summers,” she said. “It was inspiring to see people going through the program and witness the things they were doing with their careers.”

Alternate Route helped Antoine become familiar with the teacher certification process, and helped to shape her working style and preferences. 

“At that age and where I was in my life, it was nice to be independent in what I was doing,” Antoine said. “I enjoyed how Alternate Route gave me that independence, and now I have a lot of independence in my teaching job.” 

Even though Antoine was still focused on photography, Alternate Route provided a blueprint of what post-college life is like, as well as how a typical office runs and the tools needed for day-to-day professional life. 

“Being an intern helps show you who you are, what you value, and helps develop those skills, whether they are specific to your end goal or not. I’m not working in an office anymore, but I developed skills that are useful in life like communication, technological proficiency, and task prioritizing.”

Alternate Route also introduced Antoine to the learning process that comes with every new job. She admitted the responsibility she loved - connecting with Alternate Route candidates - was the one that intimidated her most. 

“Jump in and see where it takes you,” she said about overcoming the learning curve. “It’s okay to be uncomfortable and not know something.”

Antoine’s two summers as an Alternate Route intern informed many decisions she made leading up to her career, whether it was preferred working style and environment or building on top of interpersonal communication skills. 

“The experience was a natural stepping stone. It helped solidify a sense of responsibility, prioritizing and working independently.”

A first-year teacher’s biggest challenge

This past spring, Antoine finished her first year as an art teacher … during the COVID-19 outbreak. Being process oriented, she was forced out of her comfort zone, thanks to the pandemic’s chaotic nature. Antoine had to take everything she picked up as a teacher and mold it into a new process.

“I looked at myself and my philosophy and the challenge was ‘How can I apply this in a totally ridiculous setting?’ It's hard,” Antoine said. “How can I develop activities to give students remotely - knowing they have limited materials and not assuming anyone has anything?”

To help, Antoine turned to her art-educator network, which had strengthened due to COVID-19. The educators connected to brainstorm how they could best serve their students remotely. 

“We’re different in our approaches and we shared plans and adapted them,” Antoine said.

While COVID-19 brought on challenges and uncertainty, Antoine loves being an art teacher, working with small kids and having independence and ownership over her role. 

“It’s magical, really,” said Antoine, who teaches grades K-5. “The arts are a natural way to connect, especially with younger students. I love the energy of the little kids - they’re excited about everything. It’s amazing to introduce them to things they might not have known, and see them looking at artwork in their own ways.”

Now that she is working as an art teacher, Antoine enjoys reflecting on the path that led her to that career. 

“I believe that everyone and everything you experience shapes you, and we don’t always know it. I’m not an art teacher by accident.”

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