Happy, Friendly, Welcoming

I love the relationships I have formed with the children and their families over time. I've had students who were born when his or her older sibling was in my class. It’s wonderful to have this kind of connection with people. I also love my colleagues. I have known many of them for a long time, and I cherish my relationships with these friends. I love the spirit of community at Shipley, and I feel a true sense of belonging here.

My fourth-grade teacher, Sandy Dean, was the reason I wanted to become a teacher. She made school interactive and fun (even before technology!), and after that year at Merion Elementary School I knew that I wanted to teach young children.

I have recently switched grade levels from kindergarten to pre-kindergarten. In kindergarten, my favorite project was Knights and Castles. This was also the children’s favorite unit of study because it involved “research” about medieval culture and traditions. Additionally, we built a giant castle out of cardboard boxes and visited The Philadelphia Museum of Art to see real armor.

My year-end goal for every student who walks into my classroom is to feel comfortable with who he or she is and to leave believing in himself/herself.

The best vacation I have ever had was a trip to Italy. We went to Rome, Florence, and Venice. Italy is a destination that should be on everyone’s “bucket list.” My favorite part of the trip was a visit to San Gimignano, a small, walled medieval hill town in Siena, Tuscany.

I live in Havertown with my husband, Tom, and our daughter, Nadia. We have a dog named Cinderella. I can’t imagine life without a dog in it.

“I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de‐escalated and a child humanized or de‐humanized... I do make a difference.” - Haim Ginott