Elizabeth Mehmen
Why I Teach...
I became a teacher to champion children, plain and simple. I have been an educator for 20 years and it became clear to me that I can reach more children as a DTL than as a classroom teacher. I have the joy and opportunity of seeing 500 students each week. As the DTL I get to teach all the fun!! From STEM, technology skills, robotics, greenhouse and sustainability, global thinking, social and emotional education, to BOOKS BOOKS and more BOOKS, I get to introduce a lifelong love of reading and academiclly changing skills. What if a tool or book I teach changes the way a student views school? This is an awesome possibility I get out of bed for every day!
Colorado Native
I was born and raised in Colorado. I grew up in a small town East of Denver. My family has lived on our farm for 103 years. I followed our family tradition of going to CSU for college. I was the 4th generation to live in the same dorm room in Newsome Hall.
I am married to my favorite boyfriend of all time and we have a thirteen year old daughter. We live in Morrison and spend weekends at our family farm. We have a dog, tortoise, and giant rabbit. We love reading, hiking, camping, biking, and the COLORADO ROCKIES!!!!!
GO RAMS!!!!
My journey in education...
I have been blessed to work at the Bergens the majority of time I have been an educator. I have taught kindergarten through 3rd grade. I am endorsed in Special Education, Gifted and Talented Learners, and Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations.
What is to come in the 21/22 year?
Here are my action packed goals for this year.
Learn how to enhance school messenger
Purchase $3,000 in books for each school
Weed at Bergen Valley- roughly 1,000 titles
Update Destiny Follett sites that are fun and user friendly for students
Collaborate with teachers using proficiency scales to create lessons to co teach
Support teachers in growing their thinking around ALP extension in the library and classrooms
Teach ALL the Core Tech Tools and see teachers and students using them
Combine literacy, math, and tech in every library lesson
Build a bank of lesson plans to accompany teachers in the greenhouses
Lead a greenhouse committee that cultivates learning in the outdoor spaces
Ensure the technology we have meets our needs as one school
Fully use code.org, ScratchJr, and Scratch to teach the basics of coding in grades 1-5
Integrate Bee Bots and Dash/Dot for Kindergarten
Teach Botley, Sphero, and Orbits in grades 3-5
Purchase all new AV equipment and train staff at Bergen Valley
Market two successful virtual book fairs to replenish lost books
I would like to gain the following this year.
Learn as much as possible about running an efficient yet exciting library. Along the way I would like to cultivate relationships with teachers, staff, and the community. I will embrace all the changes to come in education and create a beautiful and welcoming library for students and staff to use.
