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Who
I am a teacher with a love of the natural world and a passion for moving students beyond learning to read to loving to read. Path I started out at the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Conservation and Management then, while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua, became interested in education. I came to California after the Peace Corps and began teaching 6th grade in the Bay Area at an English/Spanish dual-immersion elementary school eventually moving to Northern California where I taught Adult Ed English, ELD (English Language Development), Kindergarten, and 2nd grade. Recently I jumped down the rabbit hole of technology in a Master’s Program in Innovative Learning and am exploring the use of e-readers to motivate struggling and reluctant readers. Currently I currently teach 2nd grade at Calistoga Elementary School where I proudly aided the school in achieving National Blue Ribbon status and becoming a California Distinguished School. |
Reflections on My Journey
Teaching children to read is my forte. I am effective at helping my students be successful. When I began this Master’s Program in Innovative Learning I knew it would be my reading program that I would innovate. Even though teaching reading is my strong-suit I knew there were still tools out there to add to my kit. By infusing e-readers into my classroom I have found a motivational tool and a tool with assessments which inform my teaching. I'm not a tech for tech's sake person I need evidence that what I am doing is worthwhile. And it is...worthwhile.
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning Program
The innovative learning program is that first domino in a domino topple. It spreads out and creates an amazing picture that consist of students, teachers, staff, parents and the community at large. It starts with this program and it starts with me and I'm happy about that. I want to make teachers' jobs easier and I can do that by sharing my work. Sharing on this site and sharing with my 2nd grade team. It often sounds trite when people say, "It's for the kids." but, when we as professionals share with each other so that no one has to reinvent the wheel then we add something meaningful to a job that, while never easy, will be more sustainable. And supported teachers means quality teaching for "the kids".