About Mrs. Franza

My name is Lauren Franza, and I have been teaching with Virginia Beach City Public Schools since 2006. I taught kindergarten for two years and first grade for one year. I have experience teaching fourth and fifth grade Language Arts and have also subbed for both Virginia Beach and Chesapeake Public Schools.

My undergraduate degree is a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies of Elementary Education with minors in English and mathematics from Radford University, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude and was a member of several honor societies related to teaching and education. I am currently pursuing my Masters degree in Education, Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Instructional Technology from Virginia Tech.

I believe in getting kids up and keeping them active in the classroom. Everyone knows that learning is more interesting when you can be a part of it. My classroom is filled with resources, partners/whole group/individual/small groups, hands-on activities, and real-life applications related to Language Arts. Technology has a lot to offer the classroom, and I love incorporating brief audio/video clips and interactive applications when appropriate. We'll have fun this summer! Don't forget that the main page provides many links that you can use at home to reinforce the skills we're learning in school.

Last year, I got married in March and adopted two spunky dogs from the SPCA, Lennon and Lily. My dogs love to go swimming and to run in our local family parks. Lennon loves to eat anything that is in the trash can, and Lily is content with a squeaky toy or a tugging rope. Besides teaching and my pets, my passion is music. I was conflicted between music and teaching as a career in college, but I never stopped either! I have been singing in choirs since I was 14 years old and have had the opportunity to travel to NYC, Florida, Myrtle Beach, North Carolina, and Russia with several choirs. I currently sing in a community chorus and enjoy playing the guitar and plunking around on the piano.

If you see me around town, feel free to say hello!

Email: laurenfranza@gmail.com