Making Middle Work

I have taught grade levels ranging from 1st through 6th and have loved it all. Currently, I am a Resource Room teacher for 5th and 6th graders, and I couldn't love what I do any more than I do after this most recent year. I have been teaching for 4 1/2 years and am FINALLY feeling like I am confident in all that I am doing. I have done a lot of trial and error and I am only planning on posting TPT items that are successful for their purpose.

I am in favor of the Student Driven/ SCPBL classroom. I teach is a CCSS state (Maine) and so the vast majority of what I use is geared towards the Core. My "style" is that of a teacher who fosters inquiry and exploration. I want my kids to be challenged by their own goals and aspirations (even if I do sometimes have to make my ideas seem like their ideas... haha). I do not want to push robots out of my room; I want to push the next generations of thinkers and doers out of my room.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from University of Maine at Farmington. I was selected by my district to become a trainer in the area of Higher Level Thinking Skills. My professional portfolio was also selected to be a district/ state exemplar.

I went to school in Southern Maine, and was lucky enough to stay in one district all the way from K-12, eventually graduating 25th in a class of 326 (darn gym class...). I didn't know for sure that I wanted to become an educator until I became a TA for a special education classroom in 10th grade. I loved it, and I knew it was the right career for me, even if the lifestyle (and pay) was not the most appealing thing in the world. I went to UMF and majored in Special Education K-12, and returned to my district to pay back all they'd done for me as a student. I feel like I am doing what I am supposed to now, and am honored to be in the lives of the next generation!

I am married to my best friend, and high school sweet heart, and recently built a lovely home by the lake in Southern Maine. We kayak, and I bury my nose in books to stay sane- this summer I am in 3 book clubs (one for fun, and two excellent professional development clubs). I have no kids, no pets, and no immediate care in the world except for being a good wife, and a fantastic role model for my munchkins in my room!