My Career Path

I began my career in the business world and loved the excitement and challenge that corporate finance provided. After having my first child, I realized that the 90 minute commute each way to Manhattan and the long hours of corporate finance wouldn't work well for me as a new mom. Taking a few years off gave me time to think about what I really wanted in a career. I returned to school and started my elementary teacher license. During that time I became very interested in gifted education and started a Masters in Educational Psychology and Gifted Education. After graduating, and moving to Colorado I took a job as a TAG advisor in BVSD. I loved working as a TAG advisor and helping to ensure that my students were continually challenged and learning. My technology skills served me well as I incorporated technology into much of my project based learning. When a position opened up at Peak to Peak that combined my love of technology with a chance to work at a school whose philosophy of education aligned so perfectly with my own, I jumped at the chance.

I love challenge and I need to always be learning! The induction program was just what I was hoping for -- a program to help me grow as a teacher! After completing the induction program, I became involved with CPD by co-facilitating the tech tools workshop in induction and leading a variety of PD workshops on technology. These provided me additional opportunities to grow as a teacher and leader. However, I was starting to feel stagnate and began to think about what my next career move was. I approached CPD about taking on a tech coaching role as a way to continue my own professional growth and help P2P grow. I was disappointed that this opportunity did not come to fruition and began thinking about other ways to continue my own growth.

For years, I had been thinking about taking on a classroom teacher role -- missing the relationship building that happens more naturally in the homeroom teacher position. I'd also been missing teaching reading! When a position opened in first grade, a team that is known for collaborating, I requested a change. I'm thrilled with the decision and LOVE teaching first grade. It's been a year of tremendous growth, as I relearn how to teach reading, writing, and math at the same time as teaching during a pandemic.

I believe 5-6 years is the sweet spot in a position. It's enough time to get really good at something but not so long as to become complacent. So with that in mind, I envision spending the next 5-6 years teaching first grade. As I refine my own teaching and become more confident as a first grade teacher, I'd love to have a student teacher or practicum student.

Philosophy

My instructional philosophy combines direct instruction and application of skills with inquiry and hands on learning. When teaching skill based lessons, I often teach the initial skills and then give students a task or project to complete. I encourage students to discover additional tools and to share what they discover. With technology, many students love to “figure it out” and share what they learn with their classmates. Involving students in this way gives students the power to own their own learning. For students that are more timid at figuring things out on their own, I help them to discover something new and then encourage them to share with a classmate. Since technology is always changing, teaching technology is often about teaching students how to learn the commonalities of software. Helping students to understand how technology works and giving them the tools to discover will create students who are ready to tackle new technology as it is developed. I strive to develop projects that are cross curricular and ask students to apply what they have learned in their grade levels as they utilize the technology skills I am facilitating. In my classroom, students often work in partners and small groups. Having students talk and discover together helps to solidify their learning and gives them the confidence to figure something out that at first seems difficult.

While there is considerably more direct instruction in first grade, I am still finding ways to incorporate inquiry and student discovery. My masters degree was heavily focused on constructivist learning theory as well as methods of differentiation. My background in gifted and differentiation has been particularly helpful this year with a cluster of highly gifted students in my classroom.

I believe strongly that partnerships between families and staff members are critical to student success and strive to develop partnerships with families through frequent positive communication about students. I am a collaborator who enjoys teaming with colleagues to create innovative lessons and learn from each other. As a technology teacher, I collaborated extensively with grade level teachers to incorporate literacy, numeracy, science and social studies concepts into each technology lesson. I believe that teachers need to share their work. I frequently connect with other educators in online professional learning communities as well as attending and presenting at professional development conferences. By working together we all grow and students benefit. The first grade team is a perfect place for me. We share our work freely and build on the ideas of each other! This collaboration makes us all better and provides the best learning opportunities for our students.