At what school do you currently work?
W.W. Irby Elementary
What grade/age do you teach?
Second Grade
What subject do you teach (if applicable)?
Everything! They only get a break from me during specials.
How long have you been a teacher?
This is my sixth year teaching. All six years I have been lucky enough to teach at Irby Elementary. I taught first grade my first two years and then moved up to second grade where I have been for the last four years!
Why were you inspired to teach?
It is hard to resist a profession that supports your love of colorful pens, children’s books and Pinterest! But really, I had some amazing teachers growing up, and I have some amazing teacher friends that inspire me every day. Teaching is not always easy and it is not a job that you “leave at the office.” Being able to make a positive impact in a child’s life is what inspired me to become a teacher!
What is your favorite activity to do with your students?
I love teaching science! It is so fun to impress their growing minds with exciting experiments (even if they don’t always work out, i.e. planting white pumpkin seeds). A of couple years ago, I was lucky enough to have a parent volunteer to hatch chickens with our class. Since then, she has come back every year to hatch chickens with my class. They absolutely love it! She brings in a different breed of chicken every week and the kids get to pet them and learn about all the different kinds of chickens. It is first-hand experience with an activity that most people do not get to experience, including myself! I incorporate it into a whole life cycle unit about animals and plants. It is nice to be able to bring fun things into the classroom and teach through those activities.
What advice would you give to parents of children starting in your class?
Be involved! Read to your child and have them read to you, even if you are just reading short books on the way to baseball practice or the menu at a restaurant!
Also, the parent knows the child best, so share any information you might think is helpful within the classroom. The teacher wants your child to succeed, and having a parent on board makes that a much easier and enjoyable task!
What is your favorite part of the school day?
When we do a read-aloud lesson. I love reading and I want my students to capture that love and enjoy it as much as I do. A read-aloud gives me the opportunity to share my love of books with the students and get them as excited as I am to discover new books! Seeing a child later choose that book out of the library or look for other books by that author makes my day!
How do you wind down from a long day of teaching?
Reading, shopping and chatting with my best friend (who happens to be a teacher as well).
What do you like to do outside of the classroom?
I read all of the time! I am also lucky enough to live in the same town as my family, so lots of my time is spent with them. I go to the beach whenever possible. My mom and I love to road trip together, so I am always on the go somewhere!
What has been your funniest interaction with a student?
This is hard because quite a few students pop into my head, but no specific instance. They were just incredibly memorable kids! Just a reminder for parents though, children LOVE to come in and share all about their home life!
What is your favorite book?
That’s tough! Children’s book would be “Our Tree Named Steve” by Alan Zweibel or any Mo Willems book. As for adult books, I am going to go with two authors I really enjoy: Liane Moriarty and Beatriz Williams. I have read every book each of these two authors have written!