Mrs. Dunbar's

Coffee Corner

Thank you for stopping in to see what is going on in the Dunbar Coffee Corner. The Coffee Corner is a special place where a group of third grade high ability children call their home away from home. This is where we all learn and grow together. We have a lot of fun at the Coffee Corner each day and we really can't imagine learning any other way. Please take some time to look around our website and check out what is going on.

The Coffee Corner setting was chosen to promote "conversations" and collaboration, not the desire to drink coffee. Comfort drives creative thinking and the desire to learn. Flexible seating is built into the entire Coffee Corner. The Coffee Corner Kids select their own seats to push that flexibility even further. 

Who am I?

My name is Mrs. Hannah Dunbar. I love working with & encouraging kids, learning & discovering together, and celebrating both individual & group successes. Being a teacher in the Coffee Corner allows me to do these things with my students – and oh, so much more!

I am entering my seventh year as a Burnett Creek Elementary teacher, but I have a long history here at BCE! I was actually a student at Burnett Creek from 1st to 5th grade before moving on to Battle Ground Middle School. Following my days as a Bobcat and Tomahawk, I graduated from Harrison High School as a proud Raider. I graduated from Hanover College with a major in Elementary Education and minors in Spanish and Business. Hanover College is a beautiful and strongly focused academic institution that is Indiana’s oldest private college. At then end of my first year of teaching, 2019, I started my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Gifted Education through Purdue University. Yes, I finished my Masters Degree during the pandemic! For obvious reason, Burnett Creek Elementary is very special to me and will always be home.

I welcome you to get to know me as both a teacher AND a person. In addition to teaching, I love to spend time with my husband, family and friends and making new memories along the way. I have a passion for traveling - I have been to 10 countries so far and plan to continue filling my passport. Community service and volunteering are very important to me – I have been involved with the Make-A-Wish program and love bringing community service into our classroom. I am also the Junior Varsity Cheerleading Coach at Harrison High School - I cheered through college and love being back in the sport! I’m always up for a movie & popcorn, a good cup of coffee, and of course, learning about new curriculum and teaching techniques for kids.

Coffee Corner families always ask me about my favorite things:

I hope you find my unique, genuine and bubbly personality a welcomed addition to the Coffee Corner. I welcome you to come and join in the fun!

Core TEaching Values

The Core Values that I instill in my students are the same values I hold myself accountable for as a teacher. The daily goals in the Coffee Corner are to make learning meaningful and to find the pathways that allow students to grow. Each child is so very different in all aspects - and it is my responsibility to help each students reach his individual success.

Comfortable Learning Environment - I have designed a learning environment that supports Comfortable Learning. The Coffee Corner typically has comfy furniture, Coffee Houses, and spaces for students to feel comfortable in order to do their personal best. Comfort is at the backbone of Growth, my next Core Value.

Growth - Growth is one very big goal I have for my class. Growth in all areas of a child will be my focus each and every year. In life, personal & professional learning is measured by knowledge and skill growth. The same applies to children - academic learning is measured by the amount of growth a child makes in all areas. I very much believe growth should be a shared goal of a teacher and parent who are focused on instilling the love of learning.

Love for Learning - The ultimate goal is that I develop an environment that enhances the love of learning. I am committed to teach beyond the State Standards. I want my students to develop intrinsic motivation of learning, develop an innate want to seek answers & explanations, and ultimately, to develop a love for always learning more.

Push - Push is another of my Core Values. Taking each child out of their comfort zone and placing them at their personal level is different for the Coffee Corner Kids. In a High Ability classroom, each child is starting at a higher level - but at "their" level. It is natural that adults tend to want to 'fix the problem' when a child is uncomfortable or unsure. My goal is that adults will not look at this as something to fix - but rather something to support and encourage. Growth can be such a rewarding experience. Allowing push is something you can give your child and receive many rewards by doing so.

What does all of this mean in terms of each Coffee Corner child? Keep the positive flowing and set positive, realistic limits on the home front. Think about, for a minute, how video games work. In video games, you get to the next level by winning a battle, getting to the other side, or collecting things. In every instance, it is difficult and/or uncertain. There is some difficult you have to attain to go forward. What happens when you get to the challenge is key. One strategy is to get online and find cheats. It takes time to get to the next level in a video game if you can't take a shortcut. The need to be done takes over. The other path is to keep pushing your effort and refuse cheats. This is where you simply get to the next level by showing great effort and doing the work. This is just like life. This is where the challenge of learning is the same. Yes, a video game is just an example, but it does mirror learning.

The rigor, effort and excitement involved with growth is something adults have spent a life time experiencing. Why wouldn't everyone want to teach societies most treasured gifts, these students, "how" to handle the push in a positive exhilarating way? As the Coffee Corner continually tries to build in positive choices, solutions to struggles and remove roadblocks,  parent support is essential. Together this can be a positive way for each child to learn. Each Coffee Corner child is a difference maker in the world ... I am confident of that.

Final Thoughts

Please know, that I realize, and appreciate the trust & faith you place in me each day. I appreciate your support to send your child to a classroom that looks like a working coffee shop, while entrusting their academic & personal growth to an excited & unique teacher. My goal is to create a fun, comfortable and engaging room for your children to learn and grow.

Allowing students to be in a comfortable, safe environment, explore content authentically, solve real world problems, and learn independent/group researching skills are all part of the environment I have developed in the Coffee Corner. With equal scoops of focus on effort, work ethic, and growth - you have all of the necessary ingredients for the perfect blend.

I graduated from Hanover College!
Disney World is absolutely one of my FAVORITE places!
The happiest place on Earth!
I was a cheerleader for 15 years.
I call her my mom, but she's more like my best friend. My mom and I started a party planning business together in 2023, and we are so passionate about getting to work together.
I love ice cream!
I love to travel! This photo is from Spain!
The Dominican Republic
Greece is my favorite place is visit!
My high school sweetheart proposed during Winter Break 2018! He proposed under the light tunnel at the Indianapolis Zoo.  It was a complete surprise and we were both so excited!
I was a Covid Bride! I actually had two weddings. I had a legal, small ceremony with close family in November 2020, and then a large wedding ceremony and reception November 2021! It was definitely not what we had imagined, but it was absolutely perfect.

Mindfulness in Communication: