1.     What do you do at The Cooper School and how long have you been here?

I’m the 1st grade assistant and I teach math and guided reading, assist with writing, help with classroom management. I also do read-alouds and write and publish the weekly newsletter. I am in my first year and began in August. 

2.     What do you value about being at TCS?

The faculty is amazing!  They are incredibly organized, dedicated, professional, and supportive!

3.     What’s something you’ve learned teaching here?

I am learning SO much about affirmative language and rephrasing as well as redirecting behavior. I am also relearning the Responsive Classroom ethos. 

4.     Which educator has influenced you the most in your life, and how?

I adored my 5th grade teacher!!  She was childless and so we were her children.  She was warm and caring ~~and she gave a box of “Turtles” candy to those of us who made 100 on our states and capitals test!

My second favorite was my high school biology teacher!  I was fascinated and learned so much.

5.     What do you look forward to in your role here (lesson, section, topic, etc.) each year?

I love seeing the light go on in math. Every day that happens for someone!  And as the topics are always scaffolding and changing, there are always opportunities to see that shine!

6.     What is an example of your approach to dynamically balancing creative intelligence, self and social intelligence and academic mastery in your work at TCS? 

I love the multi-sensory approach to teaching math. The students learn to use concrete materials to build concepts before they move on to pictorial and abstract representations. They learn to focus and follow a series of directions. They employ memory as well as varied practice opportunities as the skills help them climb the ladder to academic mastery. The goal in first grade is to progress toward mastery and that enables the children to be responsible learners without stress. There are many appropriate occasions for the children to work as partners in their learning and to build their social skills as an adjunct outcome!

7.     If you could live in a book, what book would it be?

It would either be The Pillars of the Earth or Cherry Ames, Student Nurse : )

8.     What’s something this community might not know about you?

I finished high school and college in 5 ⅔ years.