Heather Upton

What brings you joy in teaching at STM?

• Being able to teach children in developmentally appropriate ways, taking into account the diverse needs of our learners, brings me joy. I find joy in being able to guide children to be thinkers and doers and problem-solvers and not “worksheet machines”. I also love having families and other teachers who support what I do, day in and day out.

What is your favorite lesson or subject to teach and why?

• I love teaching writing to your children because once they take off, you just SEE the joy on their faces at being able to write and share and create. It’s magic.

I love it when a student sees/learns/discovers…

• ….that THEY can do something on their own. So much is done FOR them, when I allow them to struggle through and then they accomplish the task: the sheer delight on their faces is priceless.

Tell us about your teaching journey at STM.

• Starting in 2000, I was a kindergarten assistant for a couple of years and then was an assistant in 2nd grade for two years. When I went back to school, I transitioned to being a weekly sub, mostly in middle school. I came back to teach full-time in 2006 as a second grade teacher for a decade and then moved to Kindergarten. I guess I have the weird privilege of being able to say I've taught in every single classroom in the school (if you include all my subbing)!