Teacher Testimonial | Get ready for the Learning Lab!

What would you tell another educator considering attending the Learning Lab next year

If another educator was considering attending the Learning Lab next year, I would tell them, get ready, get ready, get ready because it’s going to be so good! It’s so good to where it has me talking with my hands. That’s how good it was.

I mean, from the interactive sessions, they had so many sessions to choose from. There were sessions where you as a teacher, where you could be involved, where the speaker wasn’t just speaking the whole entire time. It was very interactive.

I received so much information from a different panel discussions, from the training, and the great thing about it is if you missed the session, they’re recorded. The speaker or presenters always shared notes.

So if you’re considering attending the Learn Lab next year, please, please, please, please, please, please, please do it because it has helped me out so much and even though it was a virtual experience, I felt like I was just right there with them. I felt like I was in person. It was so, so, so very good!

1. How long have you been in education, and what roles have you held?

I’m in my eighth year in education, and I currently teach Kindergarten. I’ve taught Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 4th Grade. Beyond the classroom, I’ve served as a Grade Level Chair, Library Liaison, and Mentor Teacher, and I’ve sponsored student groups including the Dance Team and the School Choir.

2. What brings you joy in the classroom? Do you have any specific stories from your career that highlight the joy of teaching?

What brings me joy is knowing that I’m changing lives by giving students the tools they need to build a better future for themselves and their families. Education is the one thing no one can ever take away from them.

One of my greatest joys is seeing my Kindergarten students learn to read. Literacy is a powerful tool that can help lift people out of poverty, so watching my students leave Kindergarten reading brings me incredible joy.

3. What is the biggest challenge you each face as a teacher? Can you share an experience where you faced a significant challenge in the classroom?

One of the biggest challenges I face is teaching at a grade level that isn’t always developmentally appropriate, unlike what I experienced growing up.

4. What strategies or approaches did you use to overcome this obstacle?

I’ve created a learning environment that supports the needs of the whole child through experiences that are sensory-rich, spark curiosity, and encourage social interaction and problem-solving.

5. What advice would you give to other teachers who might be facing similar struggles?

Get to know your students — every child has a different learning style. Meet them where they are by providing a variety of experiences, such as hands-on activities for tactile learners, visual supports for visual learners, and opportunities for discussion and collaboration for auditory and social learners, so all students can access and engage with the content.

Which ideas from the Learning Lab are you most excited to implement?

I’m most excited to implement the ELD lesson plans. Let me tell you, if you’re not using those ELD lesson plans, you need to use them. They help support all learners. They are slide decks — and they give them to you for the whole year. What I do is I crop them, or I may take a screenshot of them or screen capture, and I insert them into my slide decks.

They are very useful, they’re very helpful regardless of what grade level you’re teaching. Please use and implement those ELD lesson plans! They will help and change and upgrade your lessons.