Who Am I?

     Hello readers! I am so glad you stopped by my page.  I have been following several educational blogs for quite some time, but recently decided I was going to try it myself. Not only am I keeping up with current trends in education by collaborating with like-minded peers, but blogging has become very therapeutic for me.  Women in general have so many thoughts racing through their heads. Mothers not only have their own thoughts, but thoughts about their children running through their heads. And now, as a teacher, I have my thoughts and 20 of my students running through my head. That is a lot of ideas! Putting them down on paper is helping me purge my thoughts and organize my ideas to not only help me, but other educators as well.

I always dreamed of being a teacher. [See my Teacher Diary story here.] My fourth grade teacher, Ms. Lofy, was my inspiration. (Ms. Lofy, if you are out there… HELLO! You are my reason!) She made learning fun and entertaining. That year I made up my mind I would become a teacher. I followed my passion and babysat, became a nanny, and tutored as often as I could. I went to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York and received my teaching certificate. At that time, I was unsure if I would press on to earn my Master’s degree right out of school or go into teaching to gain experience. You guessed it- I couldn’t wait! I landed my first teaching job in Charlotte, North Carolina and haven’t looked back. I love it here; especially the weather.  I eventually attended University of North Carolina at Charlotte for a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Supervision; yes, I am crazy and want to become a principal!

Since high school, I began reading up on education. I wanted my classroom to be perfect and my teaching practice to be excellent. I wanted my kids to love me just as much as I loved Ms. Lofy. As I gained ideas, I wrote them down on index cards that I now keep in a recipe box. Every summer, I take out those index cards and reread them. I try new things, ditch the old to mix it up, or even write down new ideas. As student teachers come into the classroom, I offer the index cards as a “this is what they didn’t tell you in college” advice session. They look them over, steal ideas and always give them back to me thankfully that I saved them time, and a possible mistake! Those index cards got me thinking… if I am sharing these ideas with prospective teachers, there may be other educators out there who would want to peruse them too! Or maybe add to them! So here I am… blogging about my index cards (and many racing thoughts). I hope you gain something from visiting my page.

I look forward to learning and growing with you!

Sincerely,

About the author, Gretchen

I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.

• Links:
• Twitter
• Website
• Google +
• Facebook