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Years Teaching Overall: 18
Years Teaching at St. Mary’s Elementary: 12
Currently teaching: 5th grade Math and Science
Proudest teaching moment: “Anytime a student has the ‘aha!’ moment, when the content clicks, when they realize that their hard work has paid off, when they are proud of the grade that they earned, when they are realizing they are having fun while learning. Those moments make it all worthwhile.”
Teaching Philosophy: “Not every student learns in the same way, and as a teacher, it is my job to identify each child’s strengths and provide multiple ways for the students to access the content and concepts. In math, for example, I encourage the students to share with their classmates how they figured out the answer to the problem and remind them that there is more than one way to solve math problems. We all learn from each other.”
Toughest challenge facing educators: “Students learning to advocate for themselves. It can be as basic as asking for a pencil—it is about helping them build confidence to ask for help. This confidence will allow them to stand up for themselves and others, take risks, problem solve, and help them to grow in independence and be more responsible for themselves and their actions. It is a life skill that will serve them well.”
St. Mary’s Elementary School, Annapolis
Years Teaching Overall: 18
Years Teaching at St. Mary’s Elementary: 12
Currently teaching: 5th grade Math and Science
Proudest teaching moment: “Anytime a student has the ‘aha!’ moment, when the content clicks, when they realize that their hard work has paid off, when they are proud of the grade that they earned, when they are realizing they are having fun while learning. Those moments make it all worthwhile.”
Teaching Philosophy: “Not every student learns in the same way, and as a teacher, it is my job to identify each child’s strengths and provide multiple ways for the students to access the content and concepts. In math, for example, I encourage the students to share with their classmates how they figured out the answer to the problem and remind them that there is more than one way to solve math problems. We all learn from each other.”
Toughest challenge facing educators: “Students learning to advocate for themselves. It can be as basic as asking for a pencil—it is about helping them build confidence to ask for help. This confidence will allow them to stand up for themselves and others, take risks, problem solve, and help them to grow in independence and be more responsible for themselves and their actions. It is a life skill that will serve them well.”
