Honored and Humbled

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU so much for all your support and congratulations regarding my recent Arizona Technology in Education Association Teacher of the Year award. The last week or so has been a whirlwind of excitement and activity!

I am very grateful to have a job teaching an exceptional group of students and lucky that I have such amazing, caring, supportive parents working with me as well. When I started teaching the self-contained class a few years ago I have to admit, I did not fully understand exactly what I was getting myself into. The K-2 s-c was a brand new position, and as far as I know there was not another such class (or one even similar) anywhere. Believe me, I looked! I was also fairly annoyed to learn that PVUSD was a Mac using district. I'd spent the last decade or so using a PC and felt very proficient with it. The closest thing I had to Mac experience was with an Apple IIC in the 80s. I figured Macs were for graphic designers - that wasn't me, so why waste time figuring out an entire new operating system?

After taking many courses, going to lots of trainings and constantly scouring the Internet for new resources, I learned a lot. I realized I LOVE Macs and laugh at my original closed-minded thinking. After spending five years teaching profoundly gifted learners, I would never choose to go back to a more traditional classroom. I love creating lessons around the interests and needs of my students. I love watching the students take classroom projects to a level that actually astounds other teachers and classroom visitors. (A 7 year old did THAT? Are you SURE?) Technology and 21st century learning make it all possible. 

Governing Board Meeting - March 15, 2012

Collaborating with other teachers globally, finding existing lessons online, piecing together different strands from assorted activities to create a lesson which will work for my particular class and letting students develop their own 21st century skills, makes 2nd grade in 2012 nothing like 2nd grade a few decades ago. I love working with children who are brimming with knowledge and excitement and are not only eager to learn, but are eager to teach me about their diverse interests. And believe me - they do! It's often mind blowing what can be learned from a 2nd grader. Did you know there is no such thing as a brontosaurus? Do you know that strawberries are not actually berries? Do you know how to quickly close every open app on an iPad? Do you know the history of the stock market? Do you know how to write using the Hindi alphabet? Did you know butterflies taste with their feet? Do you know how to speak Chinese?  These are just a few of the many things I have learned (okay, I am not yet fluent in the Hindi alphabet or speaking Chinese, but the kids are teaching me) over the past few years. 
When planning lessons I try to put myself in the role of the student and think back to my own elementary school days. Like many of the s-c students I had a very hard time sitting still, got bored easily, enjoyed hands on activities and would have rather been reading a book under my desk than listening to a mind numbing lesson. Obviously not every single lesson can be a party or technology focused, and there are times when formal, written assessments are necessary. But I try to create a healthy balance so the students remain engaged, excited and enjoy learning. That is my goal. 
I love incorporating contests into the curriculum because the students love it. They get excited and will put far more time and effort into an essay knowing there is a slim chance to win a prize than they would if it were just an ordinary assignment. I love having the students wear "lab coats" (actually men's white dress shirts I bought at Goodwill) when we do science experiments because along with protecting their clothing it makes them feel like "real scientists." I love incorporating technology into the curriculum because it adds a whole new level of appeal to learning and it teaches the students real life skills - email, research, presentations, collaboration, creativity and global learning to name a few.  I love finding new and unusual ways to get my students excited about school and learning.

With Dr. Lee

I intend to be a lifelong learner and relish learning new things and enjoying new experiences. I hope my students always maintain their zeal for learning and I can't wait to follow them them throughout their lives to see what incredible opportunities unfold for these brilliant, enthusiastic young people. Technology changes faster than anything else, so learning is mandatory! Often there is no better teacher than my own 2nd grade students. Digital natives are remarkably quick to catch on to new technologies and become experts with a program or device much quicker than I possibly could. Thank you again for your support and for allowing me to spend a school year with your inspirational children. I have never felt more honored!