Welcome! I am a public school teacher in New York. I am a dad of 3, married to a teacher, and a cat lover. Thanks so very much for visiting my new blog! I'm so glad that you're here!
I graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Development in the University of North Dakota and started teaching right away at the age of twenty-one. Attending graduate classes in the evenings, I later earned a Masters of Instruction in Elementary Education.
My teaching career began near the turn of the century, back when there was room for Individuality in the class and kids still had active dreams. Classrooms had outstanding play areas, sinks were filled with messy paint brushes, and"developmentally appropriate" was the buzz phrase to use in an interview. I have been around just long enough to see the bureaucratic pendulum swing back and forth a few times, but sadly never back to the time when kids could be kids.
After student teaching in school, my very first teaching assignment was in second grade. I loved that age group! After a shift in registration, I was allocated to first grade and became a first to second grade floating teacher. It was such a wonderful experience to watch my students grow across the course of two years. Those first six years in the primary grades gave me a very strong foundation for working as a third grade teacher at the center of my career. I spent nine years as a third grade teacher, before moving into my current role as a first grade talented professional.
I am generally a very optimistic person. I am passionate about teaching and adore the children I teach. Recently, the state of education has given me lots to worry about. I believe that statistics and testing have become obstacles to meaningful teaching. Real, live kids have become numbers, not individuals. It is quite concerning.
This site is about the kind of instruction that isn't judged just by standardized tests. The type of instruction that builds character, self-esteem, and deeper understanding. The kind of instruction that discretely meets the standards. The type of teaching that teachers know is good for students. Sadly, the kind of teaching that great teacherskeep from prying eyes.