Being a teacher is what makes me most proud. The often exhausting work is repaid with the joys of watching students make connections and build confidence, empathy, curiosity, and compassion. I am an avid learner and share my enthusiasm for learning and exploring with my students.
My guiding principles:
• I believe that if you seek wonder and deeper understanding, your students will too.
• I believe that math should be rigorous, challenging, and – most importantly – based in concrete, real world situations.
• I believe in the power of a good Read-Aloud.
• I believe that every student should have access to books at their level, across a variety of genres, with characters that are like them.
• I believe that every student should also read books about characters that are vastly different from them.
• I believe that kids need to MOVE!!!!!
• I believe that wiggle breaks aren’t just for students.
• I believe that Art, Music, Dance, and Drama should be a part of every school day.
• I believe that kids should have access to hands-on science.
• I believe in fostering curiosity, wonder, compassion, and tenacity in my students.
• I believe in kids exploring the riches that San Francisco has to offer: the symphony, theatre, museums, walking tours, and parks.
Some of my favorite projects and memories:
• Teaching 32 4th graders an 8 1/2 minute dance routine for Bay Area Dance Week. The students were so proud of their work that, when the kickoff performance was cancelled due to rain, they performed it for their school and then decided to work with the rest of the 4th and 5th grade to perform it as a flash-mob for the entire school community. (See videos below)
• Studying and implementing Reading Workshop with my students and watching their thinking blossom!!
• Using (and writing) songs to help kids learn and remember facts about electricity, angle measurements, the rock cycle, California history, and food webs.
• Implementing Readers’ Theatre as a tool to help struggling readers and language learners connect with text, phonics, and meaning.
• Teaching and writing units on California history which explore the perspectives and experiences of its native peoples.
• Designing and teaching a honeybees lesson for 1s graders.
• A “Fiction Flyer” lesson cycle designed for a 4th and 5th grade combined class.
• Integrating subjects as much as possible – especially bringing the arts (visual, musical, movement) into Math and Science.
Videos from our Dance Week flash mob:
Contact me: shonamitchell at gmail dot com
Shona Mitchell 