I have been a New Jersey teacher for 17 years in the town I grew up in. Many people wonder why I decided to come back to my elementary school and for me, it was simple, because it felt like home! Thirty years ago I sat in the very classroom I teach in today and was asked, "Kelly, what do you want to be when you grow up?" That was easy, a teacher! This is where my love for school began. Ever since that very common question was asked to me, my mind was made up. The teachers I've had over the years made a lasting impression on me forever. School was my love and teaching was my future!
Of course when I began it wasn't as glamorous as I imagined. It certainly wasn't as easy as MY teachers made it look, but I had the support of the people who once taught me... as my colleagues and mentors. I was fortunate enough to work side by side with the teacher who changed my life in elementary school, Mr. Ken Davidson. Gosh, I can remember being in his class like it was yesterday. Mr. D made me LOVE school. I didn't want to miss a day! (In fact, I had perfect attendance from grades K-6.) Mr. Davidson was always in a costume, singing a song, leading us in snow dances on the blacktop, building sailboats in the courtyard and doing anything to give us experiences in learning. We were always "doing" in his class. That was what I dreamed of, being a kid's reason to come to school, just like he was for me.
That is why my passion in the classroom is student engagement, interactive lessons, hands on inquiry based instruction, classroom transformations, using any kind of STEM integration and just being silly. Engaging my students as much as I can throughout those six hours of school while maintaining a rigorous curriculum to ensure they are getting the very best instruction are my main goals.
I'm hoping to share some new classroom ideas with you while I continue my journey through elementary school. Thank you for joining me. I hope you stay a while.
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