My name is Christy Brayton and I am your child's third grade teacher this year. Here is a little information about me...
I grew up in Elmwood Park, Illinois which is about 20 minutes southeast of O'Hare airport.
As a child, I loved to play with Barbies, baby-dolls, My Little Ponies, and trolls. I enjoyed riding my bike and staying outside playing with neighborhood friends until the streetlights came on. I played winter basketball and summer softball through our local park district. My absolute favorite thing to do though was play school. I was always the teacher and my little sister and our neighborhood friends were the students.
I graduated from Elmwood Park High School in the 90's when IOU sweatshirts and z-cavaricci pants were the fad. I was one of my high school's top runners on the cross-country and track teams. Besides being a runner and doing very well academically, I also had a part-time job so that I can drive my own car, a Pontiac Grand Am.
I attended Elmhurst College to pursue my dream of becoming a teacher. Throughout my studies at Elmhurst, I met some really great professors and friends that I still am in contact with today. In my last semester at Elmhurst, I did my student teaching at Irving Elementary School in Berwyn, Illinois.
I student taught in 2nd grade. After I graduated Elmhurst College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and a minor in child psychology, my supervising teacher from Elmhurst and my cooperating teacher from Irving helped me earn my first teaching job.
My first teaching job was teaching third grade in Bensenville District 2. I was one of seven third grade teachers in my building, Tioga Elementary School. During my first year as a teacher, I got engaged to my high-school sweetheart. We got married the following summer and bought a condo in Lombard, Illinois. For the next three years, I taught third grade in Bensenville and went to school part-time at night to earn my Master's Degree in Education.
One summer, my husband and I went to visit his parents out in Plainfield, Illinois. For fun, my husband and I went to look at model homes right down the street. This was the time when Plainfield had houses popping up left and right. Well, low and behold, we fell in love with one of the models. The deal was, if I can find a job out this way, then we would buy the house. Two weeks later, I was hired at May Watts Elementary School and we had a contract written and signed for a brand new home in Plainfield. We have lived in our home ever since.
Currently, I teach at the best school in the world, May Watts Elementary School. My husband and I live in Plainfield with our three young daughters and a dog named Missy (she's a beagle).
Life is very busy, but I feel very blessed! Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me!