I just wanted to share a picture of my Support Team. My family will be a huge asset for me as I make this journey to achieve my goal of earning my Master's in Early Childhood Education. Love you  Mike,  Matt (17), and Madeline (13). Thanks for being there for me!

“If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” Ignacio Estrada

I added this to my page because I feel strongly about the need to constantly make adjustments to our teaching modes in order to benefit the learning modes of each and every child. Whether they are visual, auditory, tactile or kinesthetic learners, we need to make sure we are teaching to all these areas so every child will benefit.

It is hard to choose my very favorite children's book. My own children loved Good Night Moon when they were very young and I have fond memories of them reading the story along with me. Now, as a new preschool teacher, I gravitate towards books with a theme that covers the core basics of early literacy, math, and science. The Very Hungry Caterpillar does just that! It is a fun book to introduce and review numbers, counting and size concepts. It also covers the days of the week and time. It  allows you to cover the importance of eating nutritious foods versus unhealthy snacks. The caterpillar did get a tummy ache, after all. The life cycle of a butterfly is introduced as well. And let's not forget how the children love the repetition in the story, especially when they chant along, "But he was still hungry!" Every early childhood classroom should have at least one Eric Carle book filled with those colorful illustrations. I'm particularly fond of that cute little caterpillar.

Welcome to my Blog!

Hello Everyone,

This is my very first blog post. I am both excited and nervous as I embark on this new journey in my life. After being an educator for almost 20 years, I am now a student. But aren't we always both?
 As a teacher I always learn something new from my special ed preschool students. I'm elated when a lesson sparks a smile and a positive response. I also learn quickly when a lesson is a disaster, and think: "What do I have to do differently the next time?"
I hope my new blog serves as a learning tool for both you and me. I look forward to sharing our ideas for positive classroom and life experiences!