About the Teacher

NAME: Diann McChristy 

SCHOOL: Regina Elementary 

CLASS: 4th Grade 

E-MAIL: diann.mcchristy@regina.org 

Getting to Know Ms. McChristy...

Welcome to the new school year! I am thrilled to be your child’s teacher, and am excited to accompany him/her on their important journey through fourth grade! Please be assured that I will do all I can to create a classroom culture of caring, trust, safety, and calm. I am ready to take the plunge into 4th grade fun, and I hope you are too! But first, I would like to give you some background info about me.  I have a long history with Regina, so here goes! 

My name is Diann McChristy, and I am a life-long resident of Iowa City (believe it or not!!).  I graduated from Regina High School in 1981. I attended the University of Iowa, where I received a BA in Elementary Education, with a Reading Endorsement for grades K-9, in December 1985.  I have taken several graduate level courses since then, and continue to do so. This year marks my 37th year in education.

Upon graduating from the University of Iowa, I began my teaching career at Regina Elementary as a 3rd grade teacher, in the fall of 1986, and moved to 4th grade several years later. I have 2 awesome adult children, Anna Zirtzman (27) and Daniel Zirtzman (24). Anna began her teaching career as a lead teacher at Regina Preschool. She is currently teaching in the Iowa City Community School District. Daniel is a civil engineer, and is currently working in Hiawatha.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and going on walks with my adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Daisy. I love birds, and have an aviary with three zebra finches. I am also a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, and enjoy going to games each year. I love music, gardening, reading (especially in one of my comfy hammocks in my backyard), and vacationing with my children every summer in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I am a “word nerd”, so enjoy playing word games like Wordle and Words with Friends. I also love reading and writing poetry.

Please bookmark my teacher website (see below). Students will visit it daily, for classroom resources, websites, links, and daily assignments are posted there as well. So much information can be found on my website. Please check it out! I’m looking forward to a fabulous 4th grade year with your child. I’m certain we will have a wonderful year together!

Ms. Diann McChristy

Email - diann.mcchristy@regina.org

My Teaching Philosophy

     Teaching is my passion.  I believe an effective teacher shares that passion with her students through enthusiasm that is contagious.  If a teacher loves teaching, the students will love learning.  The students in my classroom will enjoy their time with me and will become enthusiastic learners through the passion that I have for teaching.  

     I recognize that each child will come into my classroom with varied capabilities.  Because of this, I will teach using a variety of techniques.  I will do my best to reach each student in my class, whether they need to be challenged or need to be guided in order to reach their challenges. 

     It is my job, as a Catholic educator, to guide my students on a faith-filled journey to live as Jesus wants us to live.  My students will learn about what it means to be Catholic throughout the entire school day, not just during religion class time.  My students will learn the importance of prayer in their daily lives.  Learning about the Catholic faith should also be a fun, hands-on experience.  

     Cooperative learning is another important part of my classroom.  I believe that when students work together, whether in partnerships or small groups, they learn vital social skills.  Getting along with others, finding a common ground, teamwork and organizational skills are all extremely important in our daily lives.  Cooperative learning enables students to put these skills into action and learn from them.  

     Classroom management is an integral part of any school setting.  I have learned over the years that classroom management depends largely on flexibility.  An educator must have several management techniques available for use, depending on the students in the classroom.  I prefer emphasizing the positive and rewarding my students for the good things they do.  I want my students to have high self-esteem, enabling them to have confidence in all they do.     

     My educational philosophy revolves around my passion for the teaching profession.  I will have an enthusiasm in the classroom that will help students love learning.  I will teach my students about our Catholic faith throughout the school day, and not just during religion class time.  I will use cooperative learning strategies and effective classroom management skills when necessary.  These areas are important to my teaching style and I look forward to utilizing them in my classroom.