Some Info About Me and Room 15

I teach 7th grade Social Studies, and 7th grade English Language Arts

  Here is a picture of me at the Spelling Bee (right)  and me in India in 2025.

A little about me:   I grew up in San Francisco and went to high school there.   When I grew up, I moved to Burlingame and lived there until my twin sons were born.  We moved to Belmont when they started school and I have lived there until they went off to college.  Now I live in San Mateo.

The rest of my family is still in Ireland, and my sons' family is in Italy.  I go back to visit them about every 3-5 years.   My love of travel was probably born from waiting in airports around the world, on my way to Ireland and Italy.   I've been to India, to Egypt, to Morocco, Japan, and all over Europe and Canada.  I taught in the West Indies (St. Kitts), and in Salamanca, Spain.    This year, I went to Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, Hong Kong, China, and I met his holiness, the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India!   My long long dream to meet such a peaceful, englightened leader of Buddhism.

I have been a teacher for 20 years.  Before I came to Crocker, I taught middle school in San Francisco.  I taught Honors  Language Arts and Journalism there too.  Before that, I taught at Nueva, here in Hillsborough.    I love History because I love to learn about different cultures.  I also love to read!  My favorite books are mysteries.   I love to read even more than I love to write.  I am writing a book myself right now, so while you are doing your homework every night, know that I am also writing into the long hours.

I love to learn new things.   I am almost always taking a college class to learn a new language, or how to do something I've never done before.   I feel like I've been in school forever, because as soon as I finish learning one new thing, another thing catches my attention and there I am, back in a classroom!   I earned National Certification for teaching English Language Arts (NBPTS at Stanford's Education campus).  The certification program was a challenge, but I believe it has made me a more innovative teacher.   

IF YOU NEED TO TALK..........

I am also a Psychotherapist at One Life Counseling in San Carlos.  I graduated with my Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology.    l  I want to help young people who are feeling stressed or upset.    I can refer you to someone who works at One Life, or to someone who works in the Burlingame area.   I also volunteer at Star Vista, on the Crisis Hotline.  It's a great and very friendly hotline...... if you ever feel overwhelmed or stressed, you can call the hotline there at (650) 579-0350  or go into the teen chat room at  www.onyourmind.net.     We have a wonderful counselor here at Crocker, Ms. Slater, who is a very good listener, and she knows a lot about stress and feeling anxious.   She knows some ways to help, and she keeps everything confidential.

In 2001,  I finished my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, which means I am very interested in the way the brain works, and the way people learn things and remember things.   I have taken a lot of psychology classes, and I am fascinated about the things that make each of us unique:  our thoughts!   I will be teaching Introductory Psychology this year, as an elective each trimester!

Well, that's a little about me.  I am so eager to learn a little about you.  Come see me if you have any questions, or want to introduce yourself.   I hope you have a wonderful school year!

Ms. Fairchild, Room 15

Contact info:

(650) 548-4237

afairchild@hcsdk8.org

WHAT DID YOU DO FOR SUMMER VACATION?!

Comic-Con San Diego!   Where it all happens, every summer!  The incomparable Stan Lee!