My name is Katie Templeton, I am currently teaching Kindergarten at Shuford Elementary and will be moving to first grade next year. This is my ninth year teaching, I taught third grade for two years and have taught Kindergarten for seven years. I received my National Board Certification in 2006 and will be finishing up my Master’s next May. I have been married for 8 years and have two little girls, Sydney who is five and Riley who is three.
Reading has always been a huge part of my life ever since childhood. I can’t remember a time when my mom had a spare moment and she wasn’t reading. My mom was also a teacher so reading for both information and enjoyment was a big part of our family. I find myself passing on the same beliefs with my daughters. I love to see them getting just as excited over a new book as they do a new toy.
As an adult I read as much as I can. I go through phases where I am reading everyday and then I won’t pick up a book for months. I have found that in the summer when I am off from work I read constantly. I mainly prefer romance. I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks. Recently I have been reading autobiographies of celebrities who are around my age with children.
My main focus this year has been guided reading groups and finding ways to incorporate all of the components into my classroom. With Kindergarteners sometimes it is difficult to implement what I am being taught simply because Kindergarten is a completely separate entity from any other grade level. I am looking forward to going to first grade next year so that I can hopefully continue to improve on what I am learning about guided reading and also be able to do activities where I can work with a small group and my other students can work independently on word study and writing.
Comments (1)
I love seeing my children get just as excited about a new book as they do a new toy brought chills to my body. In the world today that isn’t a common trait among children, and the fact that there are parents who still take the time to provide a solid reading foundation is priceless. On Kindergarten and guided reading, I find it is very different from first grade and any other grade. Kindergarten is a whole different ball game and with the student makeup in today’s society, we are stuck teaching the children the basics, which were once a given when entering school, such as holding a pencil, writing our name, but we are still require to take these children farther, and have them to begin reading in no time at all. Teaching first grade I could depend on my students to work during literacy stations and complete the required work, while I work in small reading groups, but with kindergarten I have found that they are so needy, that it takes a lot just to meet with one set of students for a few minutes at a time. I have a ton of first grade activities, if you ever need some new ideas!
Meredith
Posted by Meredith Bromley | June 2, 2010 9:04 AM
Posted on June 2, 2010 09:04