Meet the Teacher
Hello Families,
This will be my 35th year teaching in Montgomery County. I moved here from Ohio after substitute teaching, working at Higbees/Dillards in the Accessories Dept. and cleaning my dad's offices for two years after graduating from college. I graduated from Bowling Green State University with an Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education K-8. I have a Masters Degree in Teaching Math and Science from Johns Hopkins University. In addition to teaching kindergarten for almost 25 years now, and first grade for ten years, I have written curriculum for the county, been a teacher trainer and new teacher trainer, mentored new teachers, but have always remained in the classroom because it really is my happy place. I also served as secretary two years for SoMIRAC, our local chapter of the International Reading Association, and presented at conferences for our state Science Association and Governor's Academy for Science and Math, and SoMIRAC.
You will learn about me a lot throughout the year from your children and some of the things we do in the classroom. I love children's books and have an extensive collection at school at home, although I am downsizing, Your children will be immersed in great books throughout the year. I also love music. I studied piano for 14 years, played the bassoon in high school and in the Akron Youth Symphony, played the clarinet in elementary school and in our high school marching band. I play music all day in the classroom, and we have a special Jazz Friday day where we listen to jazz all day. I love to travel and have been to 46 states. I'm hoping to check off Oregon and Washington next summer. I share my love of the beautiful country we live in with Read the USA. This will be introduced probably at the end of September when the children will make a little suitcase out of a file folder to collect postcards I have made for each state that go with a book that is set in each state or about a person from the state. Almost all of the books at connected directly to our curriculum. I also love to travel to Walt Disney World, and some might even say I am obsessed with Disney. They might be right, but I have two nieces who work for Disney and since my family is spread out in different states, it's a great place to gather to spend time together. I love animals, but birds in particular. Hopefully around February we will start watching the eagle nest in the National Arboretum. This has become a tradition in my classroom when the nest is active. Last year we got to watch DC9, who was later named Takoda, hatch and grow. It was an amazing experience because Takoda turned out to be a sassy little rascal, and Mr. President and his new mate Lotus were very entertaining to watch as Lotus learned how to be a first time mama. The children and I learned so much by watching the nest. The American Eagle Foundation moderates the nest and recently upgrade the two cameras, so the feed is clear and the sound is good. The moderators can turn the cameras so we miss nothing that goes on in the nest! I'm also interested in photography and am learning to take better pictures with the help of my sister, so you will see many pictures of what is happening in our classroom.
I feel funny bringing this up, but it's important to me. As you have read, I have been teaching a long time and have been downsizing both at school and at home. I'm requesting that in lieu of gifts, that have been truly appreciated in the past, if you feel strongly about giving me a gift, please consider donating to No Kid Hungry, or to our Bear Hug fund at school. No Kid Hungry is an organization I have worked with in the past with my class to have Bake Sales and raffles to raise money children in our country who are in food-insecure homes. To learn more about No Kid Hungry, visit https://www.nokidhungry.org/?_gl=1*1qrkk3f*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE2NjE2Mjc5MjIuRUFJYUlRb2JDaE1JdXB5eHJkN24tUUlWQ1BySUNoMDBTZ1pXRUFBWUFTQUJFZ0x6VnZEX0J3RQ..&_ga=2.104488640.1311217482.1661627923-1907833503.1661627923&_gac=1.212666016.1661627923.EAIaIQobChMIupyxrd7n-QIVCPrICh00SgZWEAAYASABEgLzVvD_BwE.
I'm looking forward to learning more about your kinder this year. I'm sure we will find many commonalities and many things we can learn from each other.
This will be my 35th year teaching in Montgomery County. I moved here from Ohio after substitute teaching, working at Higbees/Dillards in the Accessories Dept. and cleaning my dad's offices for two years after graduating from college. I graduated from Bowling Green State University with an Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education K-8. I have a Masters Degree in Teaching Math and Science from Johns Hopkins University. In addition to teaching kindergarten for almost 25 years now, and first grade for ten years, I have written curriculum for the county, been a teacher trainer and new teacher trainer, mentored new teachers, but have always remained in the classroom because it really is my happy place. I also served as secretary two years for SoMIRAC, our local chapter of the International Reading Association, and presented at conferences for our state Science Association and Governor's Academy for Science and Math, and SoMIRAC.
You will learn about me a lot throughout the year from your children and some of the things we do in the classroom. I love children's books and have an extensive collection at school at home, although I am downsizing, Your children will be immersed in great books throughout the year. I also love music. I studied piano for 14 years, played the bassoon in high school and in the Akron Youth Symphony, played the clarinet in elementary school and in our high school marching band. I play music all day in the classroom, and we have a special Jazz Friday day where we listen to jazz all day. I love to travel and have been to 46 states. I'm hoping to check off Oregon and Washington next summer. I share my love of the beautiful country we live in with Read the USA. This will be introduced probably at the end of September when the children will make a little suitcase out of a file folder to collect postcards I have made for each state that go with a book that is set in each state or about a person from the state. Almost all of the books at connected directly to our curriculum. I also love to travel to Walt Disney World, and some might even say I am obsessed with Disney. They might be right, but I have two nieces who work for Disney and since my family is spread out in different states, it's a great place to gather to spend time together. I love animals, but birds in particular. Hopefully around February we will start watching the eagle nest in the National Arboretum. This has become a tradition in my classroom when the nest is active. Last year we got to watch DC9, who was later named Takoda, hatch and grow. It was an amazing experience because Takoda turned out to be a sassy little rascal, and Mr. President and his new mate Lotus were very entertaining to watch as Lotus learned how to be a first time mama. The children and I learned so much by watching the nest. The American Eagle Foundation moderates the nest and recently upgrade the two cameras, so the feed is clear and the sound is good. The moderators can turn the cameras so we miss nothing that goes on in the nest! I'm also interested in photography and am learning to take better pictures with the help of my sister, so you will see many pictures of what is happening in our classroom.
I feel funny bringing this up, but it's important to me. As you have read, I have been teaching a long time and have been downsizing both at school and at home. I'm requesting that in lieu of gifts, that have been truly appreciated in the past, if you feel strongly about giving me a gift, please consider donating to No Kid Hungry, or to our Bear Hug fund at school. No Kid Hungry is an organization I have worked with in the past with my class to have Bake Sales and raffles to raise money children in our country who are in food-insecure homes. To learn more about No Kid Hungry, visit https://www.nokidhungry.org/?_gl=1*1qrkk3f*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE2NjE2Mjc5MjIuRUFJYUlRb2JDaE1JdXB5eHJkN24tUUlWQ1BySUNoMDBTZ1pXRUFBWUFTQUJFZ0x6VnZEX0J3RQ..&_ga=2.104488640.1311217482.1661627923-1907833503.1661627923&_gac=1.212666016.1661627923.EAIaIQobChMIupyxrd7n-QIVCPrICh00SgZWEAAYASABEgLzVvD_BwE.
I'm looking forward to learning more about your kinder this year. I'm sure we will find many commonalities and many things we can learn from each other.
