3rd Grade Rules!

I am so very excited to welcome all of my students and their families to the 2016-2017 school year! 3rd Grade is such a fantastic year for growth and discovery. I love being a third grade teacher at Oakhills Elementary School!
 
Here's my story. Teaching is a second career for me. After graduating from Chico State id worked in the Insurance industry for a company called California Casualty. I worked in the sales and marketing department and joined the management rankings for a brief stint. Upon realizing that making the most money should not really be my goal in life and having the means to make the decision that it was time to pursue my true interest and what I believe is my life's work, I went back to school to get a teaching credential. So, my teaching career began at last! I have been teaching for 25 years with 23 of those years right here in the fabulous Eureka School District. My career began as a 7th and 8th grade Social Studies and English teacher. I worked at Andros Karperos Middle School in Yuba City for two years and then headed to Cavitt Junior High School for 8 years. While I loved teaching the middle school age group (yes, I really did!), I believe that change is good for me, so I began teaching 4th graders at Ridgeview Elementary. I taught there for 7 years and then made the journey over to Oakhills were I have taught 3rd grade for the last 7 years. I also had the privilege of teaching a 2/3 combo class for two of those years. Teaching is what I do, and I truly enjoy it. On a personal level, I have one husband (married for 34 years) and one son. My son, Andrew,  went through the Eureka Schools and Granite Bay High School, and I was his Social Studies teacher at Cavitt when he was in 7th grade. I am happy to report that he is a well adjusted adult living and working for the federal government in Seattle.
My philosophy on education is that every child comes to me with their own unique personalities and potential. Every single one of them can learn and grow and it is my job to facilitate this growth. My classroom is focused on the principles of a growth mindset. I use love and logic principles as a classroom management style. To read more about Growth Mindset, check out the useful link on my home page entitled "Growth Mindset" (how clever). Teaching With Love and Logic is a book written by Jim Fay and David Funk. They also wrote a book on parenting with the same title.
 
I promise to teach, inspire, motivate, and challenge your child throughout the school year. I am looking forward to working with you as we embark on this journey together. Please feel free to contact me anytime you have a question, concern, thought, or just need some feedback on your child's progress. I really appreciate all the support our wonderful Oakhills parents give to the school and teachers!

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