Mrs. Callahan

About Mrs. Callahan's Teaching Experiences!

This is my 5th year being a fifth-grade teacher at Broadwater Elementary. My teaching journey began by spending seven years in schools across Western Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota. This experience includes three years as a paraprofessional in various educational settings and four years as an elementary school teacher.

During my first year of teaching, I worked at Fisher Elementary School in Fisher, Minnesota, where I taught science to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders and 6th grade English, history, and gym. I then received an opportunity from Discovery Elementary in Grand Forks, ND, to take over a fourth-grade classroom where I had previously completed my student teaching. This position allowed me to collaborate with exceptional educators and engage in a modern learning environment that utilized current teaching methodologies. Recognizing this as a prime chance for my professional growth, I eagerly accepted the role. With the support of my colleagues, I significantly enhanced my teaching skills over the three years I spent there.

We later relocated to Billings so my husband could pursue the Physician Assistant program at Rocky Mountain College, and we truly enjoyed our time here. He now works for Billings Clinic, neurosurgery. At Broadwater, I initiated several clubs, such as Student Council, Yearbook, and Newspaper. Additionally, I have participated in various committees, including the PLC Leadership Committee, Tier 1 Committee, and Social Committee, and I have contributed to developing the behavior flow chart

About Mrs. Callahan's Teaching Beliefs

I am deeply committed to being an exceptional teacher. I believe that I achieve this through hands-on, inquiry-based instruction. Building meaningful connections with my students is a priority for me, as I find that relationships foster a desire to learn. I hold a strong belief that learning is a collaborative process, where both students and teachers can teach and learn from one another.

Beyond my focus on relationships, I am passionate about making learning enjoyable and engaging. I view everyone as both a learner and a teacher. I aim to cultivate competency rather than mere compliance, which I achieve by fostering a safe classroom environment that promotes a growth mindset. I often incorporate teaching strategies inspired by Finland's educational methods.

My students regularly reflect on their learning through various styles of portfolios and set personal goals. They develop a clear understanding of the grade-level standards and are given opportunities to engage with these standards while reflecting on their progress. I encourage my students to identify their strengths and collaborate effectively, leveraging both their own abilities and those of their peers. I believe in project-based learning and strive to create opportunities that align with multiple subject standards.

My student's academic success starts at home! Ensure your child gets eight or more hours of sleep as well as gets 3 meals a day is a great start to learning! At Broadwater, breakfast and lunch are free! Also, making sure your child is not getting more than 2 hours of technology each day will give them a chance to develop healthy social and emotional skills. Please work to always talk positively about the schools in front of your child so they develop a positive relationship with the school. I will work to keep you in the loop on both positive and negative behaviors I see in your child, and I am excited to work with you this year to help create lifelong learners!

I want you o understand that making calls or reaching out about your child eats up a lot of my time, something I never have enough of. So if I am talking to you, please value that conversation and take the time to have a conversation with your child about the conversations.