The Rae C. Stedman Elementary School in Petersburg has two new teachers this year. One of them is 5th grade teacher, Carla Green. As Angela Denning reports, she comes to the position after teaching several different age groups.
New fifth grade teacher Carla Green was a substitute teacher for the Petersburg School District last year. That included a month-long stint in the 5th grade classroom.
But to back up a little, she first came to Petersburg three years ago to work with fish. She has spent the last three summers as a Fish Tech for the local sport fish division of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Green liked Petersburg so much she decided to stay and check back into teaching.
She got her teaching degree years ago at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. She then worked at an elementary school in Juneau as a technology coordinator for K-5 grades. She has also worked with adult students. But she tells KFSK’s Angela Denning that substitute teaching last year with fifth graders reminded her that she prefers that age group.
Green: “That’s definitely my favorite, 4th, 5th.”
Denning: “What do you like about that age group?”
Green: “I like the content, I like their energy.”
Denning: “What are some of the things that they’re learning?”
Green, “Gosh, fun things with math and social studies, technology and writing and reading.”
Denning: “And then what sets them apart personality-wise from the littler kids.”
Green: “I would just say that they know the routines and they know what they should be doing so you can focus on deeper learning.”
Denning: “If you have a teaching style, what would that be?”
Green: “I would say that I’m more inquiry based teaching. So, presenting problems and letting the students figure out the answer.
Denning: “So, what they’re interested in, you kind of follow that?”
Green: “Yes, knowing the students, that’s a huge part of it. Getting to know them and what excites them and what they’re interested in and going from there.”
Denning: “What are some of the ways you’re getting to know them in the first week?”
Green: “We’re playing a lot of games and just seeing how they interact and giving them a lot of questions and listening to them.”
Monday was the first day of class with students for Green. The other fifth grade class is being taught by Dan Sullivan. Another new teacher at the school is new kindergarten teacher, Hillary Mullen.
