Hello Everyone! My name is Kelly Mabe and I teach at Walnut Cove Elementary in Stokes County. At this time, I am teaching the 4th grade and I have seventeen students in my classroom. I have been teaching for six years at the same elementary school. During my time at Walnut Cove, I have taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades.
When thinking about my early reading experiences, I first think about my mom. As a young child, my mom constantly read and sang to me. My mom was constantly buying me knew books that I would place in my own personal library. My mom was very instrumental in my learning to read and write the alphabet before I entered Kindergarten. My mother instilled within me an early interest in books and their importance.
As I began Kindergarten, I remember enjoying the first year because I already knew most of what I was being taught. I do not remember having any difficulties mastering the reading/phonics strategies that were placed before me. I absolutely loved the songs and poems that we would sing together at the beginning/ending of the day. I remember driving my parents crazy with all of the fun little riddles and rhymes that I would learn.
As I moved into the early primary years, I began to become very bored. Due to the fact that I was somewhat advanced, I was placed in combinations every year of my elementary schooling. As far as reading goes, all I truly remember is sitting in a circle with a basal textbook completing "round robin" reading. I remember feeling completely and utterly bored to death. It amazes me now to think that I was in a classroom of advanced learners and we were all bored to death. It makes one wonder why we were not "challenged"!
My interest in reading was rekindled in the 5th grade when my teacher read the books The Cay and Uncle Tom's Cabin aloud. These two books opened my eyes to the fact that books can make you think, feel, and question the world around you. In that 5th grade classroom, I learned to express myself through journaling and dramatizing what I had read. That one teacher in 5th grade made me a life long reader.
When I think about literacy expression, I must say that I am very open to anything. I love to dramatize and even tell stories orally. One of my favorite memories of this school year, is telling "Jack Tales" to the students in my school on Heritage Day. I would have to say that I am not a bookworm. If I find a book that captivates my interest, I normally read it very quickly. However, if the book does not capture my attention, I may take weeks or months to read it. To be quite honest, I do not get to read nearly as much as I would like to due to my graduate course load.
I can't wait to read about each person in our class! I look forward to getting to know all of you over the next few weeks.
Kelly Mabe