I have taught grades 2-5, and elementary art for grades k-6 in private and public schools, inner city and suburban settings. I have been a public school teacher for 28 years, focusing on grades 2-5. I am a recently retired 4th grade teacher.
My style encourages leadership in my students. My classroom is run in the style of "Mini-Society", with students playing a major role in decision making and assuming responsibility for their own learning. I enjoy combining art with all subjects whenever possible. I am so excited right now about introducing Maker Space resources to the elementary classroom!
I was the Farmington Public Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year in 1998, and also the WDIV/Newsweek Oakland County, Michigan's Elementary Educator of the Year in 1998. In 1999, I was a nominee for the Disney Teaching Awards. I was selected as The Great Lake Scholars Teacher of the Year in 2008. This honor is awarded to one teacher fom the Great Lakes Region including Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. I have been trained as an INTEL Teach to the Future teacher trainer, and have been a frequent presenter at Michigan Reading Association and Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning conferences. I was also a member of the first cohort group in the Galileo Leadership Academy of Michigan. I also trained as a Science Leader in my district, preparing to roll out the NGSS to teachers.
I earned both BA and MAT degrees from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
I am married, and have two daughters, and seven amazing grandchildren! Follow my blog: http://rainbowcitylearning.blogspot.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RainbowCityLearning Join me on Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/rdlondon/
PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Staff
English Language Arts, Balanced Literacy, Creative Writing, Reading, Spelling, Vocabulary, Specialty, Math, Science, Astronomy, Social Studies - History, Civics, Elections - Voting, Government, U.S. History, World Language, Chinese, Arts & Music, Visual Arts, Graphic Arts, Music, Vocal Music, Other (Specialty), Life Skills, Critical Thinking, For All Subject Areas, Literature, Classroom Management, Professional Development, School Counseling, Economics , Character Education, Word Problems, Study Skills, Instructional Technology, General Science, Physical Science, Library Skills, Cooking, Writing, Oral Communication, Reading Strategies, Writing-Essays, Holidays/Seasonal, Back to School, Thanksgiving, Christmas/ Chanukah/ Kwanzaa, Poetry, Autumn, Halloween, Winter, The New Year, Valentine's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Black History Month, St. Patrick's Day, Spring, Tools for Common Core, Earth Day, For All Subjects, Summer, Informational Text, End of Year, Engineering, Close Reading, Women's History Month, Classroom Community