Third Grade
Mrs. Gildred
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Literature Poetry |
Arithmetic Physical Education (Taught by a Specialist) |
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Who would have thought that a passion for teaching and making a difference would begin with a love of office supply stores and writing on white boards with dry erase markers? Although she did not think about pursuing a career in teaching until she was in college when a “light bulb” went off after a career aptitude test had typed her as potentially being a good accountant. After receiving her BA in Liberal Studies and teaching credential from Cal State Fullerton, Mrs. Gildred received her MS in Educational Psychology from USC.
One of the first things Mrs. Gildred learned about teaching was never to give up. Assigned to a high risk area and student population, one student resisted her from the beginning. She never gave up, kept in front of him constantly, and watched him eventually open up and soften. “You never give up,” Mrs. Gildred said about that experience, which she says has set the tone for the rest of her teaching days.. “You persist until you find a way to reach that individual student and what it will take to bring them up. Every student is important,” she added.
What does Mrs. Gildred want her students to take with them when they leave her class next year? “I’d like them to be able to be organized, be independent thinkers and have confidence,” she says. The things she likes most about teaching at Howard School include the support of an incredible Headmaster, small class size enabling individual attention to students and their learning needs, looking forward to seeing and working with her fellow teachers each day and “my kids, of course!”
