Meet Ms. Shannon

Hi, I'm Ms. Shannon!

I grew up right here on the Blue Hill Peninsula in Brooklin and attended Blue Hill Consolidated School from second through eighth grade. BHCS has always felt like a second home—my mom was a teacher here for 40 years! Being able to return as a teacher and welcome some of our youngest learners into the same school community I grew up in is pretty special.

I've always been an outdoor kid. I grew up sailing, wandering island trails, exploring, creating, and getting dirty. I secretly wanted to be one of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan and never grow up—so perhaps it's not surprising that I eventually found my way to teaching Pre-K!

I attended Hampshire College, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and Sustainable Agriculture, with a focus on outdoor and garden-based learning. For my senior project, I designed a garden-based preschool program.

While in college, I worked at the campus Early Learning Center, which followed the Reggio Emilia philosophy, and even got to spend Fridays at the Eric Carle Museum for story time!

After college, I spent five years at Deer Isle-Stonington Head Start before returning to Blue Hill. I have now been teaching Pre-K at BHCS for the past five years.

I truly believe a dirty kid is a happy kid!

I love creating opportunities for children to learn through play, exploration, creativity, and hands-on experiences. While academic skills are an important part of Pre-K, some of my favorite moments are the “Aha!” moments—the excitement of discovering something new, following a curiosity, or figuring something out for themselves.

Young children often have no idea how much they're learning. Literacy, math, science, problem-solving, and social skills can be woven into just about anything when children are excited, engaged, and having fun.

Outside of the classroom, I serve on the Outdoor Learning Committee and Pre-K Committee and lead Rosanna's Readers at BHCS.

When I'm not at school, you'll usually find me outside or in the kitchen! I love cooking for friends and family, spending time on the water, hiking and exploring islands, and having outdoor cookouts.

My family also loves vintage cars. I have a 1936 Ford truck that my husband built, and we spend many summer weekends at car shows and events with his collection of vintage hot rods.

The woods, islands, ocean, food, family, and community are a big part of who I am, and I can't imagine living—or teaching—anywhere else.