I’ve been teaching Kindergarten in North Las Vegas, Nevada at C. P. Squires School for six years, where I love the students and staff. Sometimes following the same class to the next grade level, I have taught four grades (K–3) in four schools. Previously, I taught for fifteen years in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

C. P. Squires changes from a twelve-month to a nine-month schedule this year, so I am counting on new and exciting adjustments. I teach in a predominantly Hispanic community, filled with enthusiastic learners and supportive families. My classroom has plenty of space, and the desert sun shines through a wall of windows. Because my kindergartners have fun and move around a lot, they think they are playing when they're actually learning! Centers keep students busy and engaged with a diverse selection of activities, freeing me to work with guided reading groups. Writing time keeps junior scribes quiet and reflective as they sit and look at posters or at the Word Wall, allowing me to conference with their classmates to prepare them for the Author's Chair. Writing is the favorite time of day, and at the end of the year we celebrate writing by inviting families and the principal to listen to young authors read their favorite piece.

As a child, my dream was to become a  kindergarten teacher. Now, I am a teacher who impresses young minds with ABCs and 123s, “The Golden Rule,” and “Safety First,” and one who shows that early dreams can become a reality. To that effect, each September my students brainstorm their hopes and dreams for their kindergarten year and tack them to our big bulletin board. Hopes and dreams are simple at this age: "I hope I get to work on the computers," "I hope I can read books." At the end of the year we review their hopes and find that most of them have become a reality. Those that haven't may become so next year.

Educating children is important to me. They become our leaders, guardians, caretakers, civil servants, and volunteers. They will find cures, invent solutions, inspire people, and make discoveries. They will be mothers, fathers, champions, heroes . . . and teachers. My goal is to help children realize there is nothing they cannot do. If you walked into my classroom today, you would see students who are encouraged to do their best because I believe in their ability and in their possibility. When I get a hug at the end of the day, or an "I love you, Teacher," I know I am doing something right.