About Me
My name is Missy Powell-Riedl and I am a kindergarten teacher. I have been an educator for thirty-two years. My mission is to pass on my love of learning (especially Math) to the next generation enabling them to better their future through education. I want the children I teach to love learning so much that they will never stop.
I will simply state that I am a teacher at heart. I have been since I first taught another child to read when I was in fourth grade. I love to learn and I believe that learning is a process which does not end with school- it is a lifetime experience. My mission is to pass on my love of learning to the next generation enabling them to better their future through education. I want the children I teach to become life-long learners and caring people who work together to make our world a better more peaceful place. I believe that if the curriculum is well-planned, given with creativity, and applied in an appropriate learning environment, students will learn from an academic standpoint, as well as develop the social skills needed to become active members of our global society.
Planning is essential to help students reach their goals. As the guide of my class, I need to know the steps we need to take in order to reach our destination at the end of our journey together. The activities I plan help guide students to construct meaning and give them the opportunity to discover for themselves through hands-on learning and the use of manipulatives.
Equally important to planning is creativity and the ability to make connections. To help my students become life-long learners, I myself must remain up to date with the world of five year-olds. Making connections to students’ interests fosters creativity and provides intrinsic motivation. Allowing my students to take part in the planning of our learning by developing their own questions for our units of study gives them ownership and motivates them to work hard to master the skills necessary to achieve our goals.
Providing a safe risk-free learning environment that promotes the sharing of ideas is essential to student success. I try to create an environment where my students feel free to express themselves. By having class meetings and numerous discussions, my students and I have an opportunity to learn about each other and to develop an open and positive relationship. I believe by providing a safe risk-free environment with clear and consistent expectations students show greater respect for their teachers, their peers, and the lessons presented.
For myself, teaching allows me to not only be a life-long learner but to share my passion with future generations. I feel my most important role as an educator is to set an example and to instill in my students a love of learning that will sustain them throughout their academic career and into adulthood. I want to instill in them the value of being inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who will work together to make the world a better more peaceful place.