All About Me

Hello, my name is Rita Gregory and this fall will mark my twenty-second year teaching kindergarten at Booth Free School.  I began my teaching career at Booth and have been enjoying learning and teaching alongside wonderful people-big and small-ever since.  Education is a big part of my roots: there are teachers on both sides of our family.  My grandmother taught first grade in New Milford for more than 30 years, and she had more than 40 students in her class!

Every teacher says their grade is the most important, but I think kindergarten is the most magical and fun of all. Every August, timid and eager little ones come to the classroom; every June, confident, independent students walk out. Growing into a six year-old is an amazing transition that often catches parents by surprise. Yet, there is value in savoring childhood slowly. That is why the kindergarten program is centered around discovery through play. A challenging curriculum can still be fun and developmentally appropriate when it is hands-on and encourages exploration through the senses. In fact, social skills, mindfulness, growth mindset, and perseverance are as much a part of kindergarten as learning to read.

When I am not teaching, I am often traveling to visit friends near and far.  You can find me in Watch Hill, Rhode Island every summer and I'll be off to England to visit relatives this year, too.  I was lucky enough to participate in a Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad program to Hungary and the Czech Republic and a trip to Singapore and Bali where I learned about their schools too.  No matter where I travel, I always want to see the local elementary school!  I have eclectic interests, most recently Eastern European ceramics to hiking to family minimalism.  Of course, I spend a lot of my free time with my husband and favorite little guy, Cameron, who will be turning eight in September.  His interests have become mine, and he is one of my favorite teachers ever.