Second Grade - About Me

My name is Jeanette and I was born and raised Fresno. I attended Rowell and Turner Elementary schools, Computech Middle School, and Sunnyside high school. I wanted to go to Fresno City to save money on my degree, so I started out by going there and received my Associate's degree in Liberal Studies. I then transferred to Fresno State where I earned my Bachelor's degree in Linguistics (ESL Option) and also my multiple subject teaching credential. I'm currently working on a Graphic Design certificate for fun. I'm married and have three sons who also attend Big Picture.

Moving schools this year is a big adjustment for both teachers and students. When I first walked into the new classrooms and saw all the windows, I immediately thought about plants. I knew I wanted to have plants in the classroom. Then I started to get more and more ideas of how to bring the outside "in" and I can't wait for parents to come into the room to see that vision. Studies have shown that being out in nature is good for emotional and mental health. I know it's not exactly the same as being outside, but I'm hoping the environment will be beneficial.

My goal is to add art, theater, and music in our routines. I was thinking this year I'm going to choose an artist for each month and we will try to mimic their style and have at least one major art project to finish each month based on the artist (as well as smaller projects for fun that may or may not be based on the artist). I would like to collect their projects each month and then turn the classroom into an art gallery for parents to see towards the end of the year. For theater, last year at the end of the year, I had students put on short plays inside the classroom based on classic stories and parents were welcomed to attend. I would like to have plays for practice throughout the year, and then have a final one at the end of the year for parents to see. For music, we will learn a bit about reading music through clapping and rhythm instruments. I'm also hoping to be able to practice songs to sing for parents see, even if we are just singing to the song in the background.

Something else I started last year that I would like to continue is a class newspaper called the Second Grade Star. Towards the end of the year last year, we put out a monthly newspaper that included some of their writing, artwork, guest writers, and other things. This helps gives the students a purpose for writing. So instead of saying, "Write your opinion about _____," we'll be able to say, "Today you'll start working on an opinion piece for our newspaper. Don't forget, each class will get a copy, so make sure you do your best work." The more you can attach purpose to their work, the better.

I also like to celebrate holidays in class. Last year we celebrated a daily holiday, but with my plans to make sure we are getting art, music, and theater, I'm not sure if that will happen just yet. Last year we celebrated holidays such as Brussels Sprouts Day, World Water Day, and Middle Name Appreciation Day (just to name a few). I'll do my best to squeeze them in when I'm able to because they added a lot of variety to our days.

Last, here are just a few things about me and my life outside of school:

A few things that I love to do are....

Painting