Mrs. Kelly Herspold is Williamsburg’s Choice for Teacher of the Month Oct 2014
Bob Phipps owner of School Crossing congratulates Mrs. Kelly Herspold on being voted Williamsburg’s Choice for Teacher of the Month October 2014. Voting took place on www.WilliamsburgFamilies.com and www.School-Crossing.com. Mrs Herspold is a 2nd Grade teacher at D.J. Montague Elementary School. Her picture will appear in the Virginia Gazette on Wed Oct 29th in Williamsburg Smiles Teacher of the Month ad (just in case you want to clip it out for her).
Read below about Mrs. Herspold. Please share this post to congratulate her! And vote today for Nov 2014 Teacher of the Month here
How long have you been teachingand teachingat DJ?
I am currently in my 4th year teaching at DJ. I previously taught in Newport News for 6 years.
What drew you to teaching, teachingat DJ and was there any particular reason you chose to teach 2nd grade?
I knew from when I was young, probably about 2nd grade, that I wanted to be a teacher. (I LOVED my 2nd grade teacher!) I feel that it’s what I’m supposed to be doing. I truly can’t picture myself in any other profession.
Can you mention a project where you were able to engage the kids outside of the classroom or stories that you heard where they brought their learning home?
I love when parents send me notes or emails about things that their children are doing home as an extension of what we have worked on in class. When we are learning about magnets, I love to hear that they are going home, making a little chart, and exploring their home to see what things are magnetic! I love to hear that not only are the students hearing me and learning the information, but that they are truly enjoying it!
What perspective have you gained from being around 2nd graders all day?
Second graders are just at such a great age! Their innocence, honesty, and compassion is truly heartwarming and refreshing. Their excitement and appreciation of little things is contagious- they really put things in perspective and teach and motivate me to be appreciative of those little things too.
What do you want your students to be able to do when they leave your classroom – that you know will prepare them for further education and life in general?
I want my students to leave my classroom with the confidence that they can do anything that they choose to do and with an excitement for learning.
If you could ask parents to do one thing to help their children’s academic success what would it be?
The one thing that I’d love for every parent to do is to read with their child! Reading together is beneficial in so many ways. Not only are you spending time together, building literacy and conversational skills, but you’re showing your child that you are interested in their education and that it’s important.
Are you from Williamsburg? If not, where are you from, what brought you here?
I am originally from Hampton. Once we started a family, we decided to move to Williamsburg. It’s a great place to raise a family!
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