Meet the Teacher

Hi!  I'm Mrs. Poole and I teach 4th grade at MID.  I love teaching, and working with students in the upper elementary grades! 

I am always looking for ways to become a better teacher, and read many books and blogs in that effort. I also pick the brains of my colleagues whenever I can...they always have awesome ideas to share. I'm constantly searching for fun and effective learning experiences to share with my students...this explains my  addiction to  love for Pinterest!

I didn't start teaching right out of college.  I first earned a BA in Business, and used to work at the corporate office of a major retailer.  When my husband and I started a family, I was fortunate enough to stay at home with my kids.  Then, when my children were all in school, and I was praying about what to do next, I had 'a God moment' when I knew without a doubt that I was being called to teach. I had dreamed of being a teacher when I was a little girl, and I feel like God brought that dream back to me when I was ready for it (or maybe when He was ready for it!). My Christian faith is a big part of who I am and drives much of what I do.  For me, teaching is how I serve. 

I began my teaching career by working in a nearby school district as a Special Education Assistant. Then, encouraged by the principal and teachers, returned to school to work on a Licensure to Masters program. Since earning my teaching license, I've worked as a Gifted & Talented Coach (5th/6th), Reading Tutor (3rd-5th), 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 4th/5th Grade Language Arts/Social Studies, and now 4th Grade Teacher. I love teaching and spending time with children, and I feel like I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. My teaching goal is to continue to learn and grow in an effort to become the most effective teacher that I can be.

My husband and I have been married since 1994 and we have 4 great kids! We also have a beloved Goldendoodle named Maia. I grew up, and spent most of my life in Southeastern Wisconsin.  We moved to North Carolina in 2011 when my husband changed jobs. We miss our family and friends in WI, but love the new people and places we've been introduced to in NC!

Things I Love:  Jesus, spending time with my family and friends, our church and the awesome people there, teaching (of course!), reading, libraries (free books!), Teachers Pay Teachers (a website for teachers to share/buy printable lessons/activities), Pinterest, Dove dark chocolate with almonds, Merkts Port Wine cheese (in the deli area at Walmart...I was SO happy to find this WI treat in NC! Try it as a dip with pretzels...yum!), Scrabble, watching The Walking Dead (I was horrified by it when my family started watching, but then I got hooked), cheese pizza, spider solitaire, Facebook, Duck Dynasty (hey...it's funny!), cardigan sweaters, Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia, walking our dog, making quilts,  honeycrisp apples, hiking, Bananagrams, scrapbooking, Bath and Body Works, camping, playing card and board games, the Green Bay Packers, Pier One, and lots of other wonderful things : )

My Teaching Philosophy

• I believe that the kind of people my students are is just as important as the kind of students they are. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps my students develop their character AND their minds.
• I believe that at the heart of every person is the desire to be loved and accepted. I want to be the kind of teacher who loves and accepts every student in her classroom.
• I believe that every person has strengths and struggles that contribute a great deal to who they are. I want to be the kind of teacher who enhances her students' strengths and helps her students through their struggles.
• I believe that every person needs someone to believe that they can succeed. I want to be the kind of teacher who believes in and encourages her students.
• I believe that we achieve the most when we are given a challenge just beyond our current abilities. I want to be the kind of teacher who challenges her students at that 'just right' level.
• I believe that when we are learning something new, we don't usually do it perfectly the first time. I want to be the kind of teacher who helps her students develop perseverance, not giving up until they achieve their goals.
• I believe that a teacher really can make a difference in the life of a child.
  I want to be the kind of teacher who does.