How are chunks of a trunk of a sugar maple related to my sixth grade English class? Well, if you were in Montclair on a recent spring-like morning, you would have been delighted to hear children recite poems as they perched on sections of the downed tree. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved words and stories. I was the child nestled in bed reading ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on a Saturday. And for always, I wanted to teach. I was the “teacher” at the blackboard in my room, instructing an imaginary class.
My dream became a reality when I graduated from Upsala College with a major in English and began teaching a combined fourth, fifth, and sixth grade class at the Montclair Cooperative School. At that time, I even taught math, which I loved. Eventually, classes were reconfigured, and I taught a combined fifth and sixth grade class, still teaching the core subjects. I returned to school myself and earned a masters in Liberal Studies from Rutgers University.
Just as I was growing academically, the school was expanding to include grades seven and eight. I was thrilled to become the upper school language arts teacher, a position I continue to cherish.
For me, teaching language arts is all about helping the children fall in love with reading and writing. To do this, I am passionate about the subject matter and the children’s engagement with it. We are a community sharing our love of stories and poems.
When I am not the “teacher,” I am reading, gardening, cooking, hiking, biking, and enjoying my family.
