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March Teacher Spotlight

How long have you been a teacher? This is my 15th year teaching.

Where have you taught and where do you currently teach? I graduated in December 2006 from UNO and walked into my first classroom one week later. I had 32 students with no assistant teacher and many of my students did not speak or understand English. I taught Kindergarten for two years in Jefferson Parish. I moved to St. Tammany Parish in 2008 and taught Kindergarten at Madisonville Elementary for four amazing years. It was during this time that I had the privilege of working with several fabulous Kindergarten teachers. This experience showed me the power of a great team and strong administration. For the last nine years, I have called Lusher Charter School my school home and have been lucky enough to still teach my favorite grade, Kindergarten! I count my blessings every day that I am able to teach my favorite grade with amazing coworkers and a strong administration. 

Why did you choose teaching? I have always loved working with young children. As far back as I can remember I have been pulled to teaching and working with little ones, from my early years of playing school with my baby dolls, to making my grandmother pretend to be a student in my make-believe classroom. I grew up in a family of educators, as my mother taught for over 30 years and my grandmother was a teacher and principal. Teaching, school, and early childhood have always been a part of my life and passion. I have been lucky enough to live out and refine it over the years.

What piece of advice would you give to new teachers? Find a good teacher friend or a few. Your friends at school will become your extended family. Lean on them, laugh with them and ask for help when you need it. Look for an administration that supports you and advocates for you and your students. Give grace to your students’ parents, as parenting isn’t easy. Be prepared to be a lifelong learner during your teaching career. Every school year will bring something new: a new curriculum, a new behavior management strategy, a new lesson plan model, new state standards, etc. The observations will continue as well. I remember being shocked at all of the pop-in and formal observations my first few years of teaching. I really thought that would come to an end once I graduated. 

What’s a funny or inspiring anecdote you have from teaching? Even on your hardest days, your students still look to you for safety, fun and connection. It’s okay to sit with them and enjoy their company at recess. It’s okay to move slower with the lesson plan if they need it, and it’s definitely okay to laugh with them when they are having a silly moment. They need it and so do you.

What are you reading right now? Informational texts on amphibians. We just started our unit on Amphibians! 

What are your hobbies? Eating yummy food cooked by my husband, walking my dogs, and spending Saturday mornings at the soccer field with my boys. 

What is your teaching style? How would your students describe you? I would describe my style as organized. When I am organized, my students can move through the day independently and I am able to be a facilitator to their learning rather than walking through each step of the day. I hope my students would describe me as fun. I work very hard to disguise the rigor of learning play!

Who inspires you? My memories from my elementary school years inspire me. I LOVED school and everything about it when I was young. I remember having fun, feeling safe, and feeling loved by my teachers. Every station I make for my students, every lesson I design, every newsletter I send to my parents is motivated by having the desire for my students to love school as much as I did when I was little. 

Favorite food? Anything that involves pasta and bread!

Favorite word? Kindness

Advice for teaching during these times? Look for the little moments of joy; they will give you the extra push to get through the hectic morning and long afternoon.Teaching this year is hard. It’s hard to teach all day wearing a mask. It’s hard to have so many unknowns. It’s hard to teach virtual and in person and at the same exact time. Even with so many challenges, one thing that hasn’t changed is the joy of hearing kids laugh and watching them play together. Find time to let them play even when you feel there isn’t enough time in the day. Find time to let them make friends with one another, share, take turns and build those relationships. They definitely need it, but my oh my, we need it too. 

How would you describe your vibe in 2021? Thankful, optimistic, challenging and tired. 

Anything else you’d like to share? Even on my most exhausted day, I know in my heart I am wired to be a teacher. I love everything about teaching from designing my classroom to building relationships with my parents and students each year. I love mentoring new teachers and giving to them what I wish I had my first five years of teaching. I love organizing school supplies in August and sharing in the excitement of new seating arrangements in January. I love my coworkers, administration and school community. I count my blessings everyday that I am lucky enough to work with such talented individuals and do what I love to do, teach.