NAME:
Mrs. Birkbeck
SCHOOL:
Ford Elementary
CLASS:
3rd Grade
SCHOOL PHONE:
(678) 594-8092
Mrs. Birkbeck is starting her seventeenth year at Ford Elementary. She and
her family moved to Georgia twenty-one years ago from Arlington, TX where she
was a stay-at-home mother raising her two sons. Jay, now twenty-sevn is a
financial specialist for Wachovia. She is thrilled that Jay is married to
Katherine, a wonderful daughter-in-law. Katherine is a professional photographer. Mark,
now twenty-four, recently returned from teaching English at a college in China. He is now doing
custodial work at Hayes Elementary, with plans on going back to graduate school.
Prior to the birth of her sons, she taught first and second grade in Indianapolis, IN.
Undergraduate studies were completed at Miami University in Oxford, OH.
Masters was completed at Lesley University. She is gifted certified for the state of GA.
It is my belief that each child is a unique individual who needs a secure,
caring, and stimulating atmosphere to grow and mature emotionally,
intellectually, physically, and socially. As an educator it is my desire to
help students meet their fullest potential in these areas by creating an
environment that is safe, invites sharing of ideas, and supports risk-
taking. There are three areas I believe are favorable to establishing such
an environment. First, the teacher should act as a guide, not as the
primary source of information. Second, the instructor should allow the
child's natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, having the opportunity
to study things that are meaningful and relevant fosters intrinsic
motivation and stimulates the passion to learn. Last, it is important to
promote respect for all things and all people. When the voice of each
student is heard, children develop a deep love and respect for themselves
and others.
The School Improvement Plan for the year 2008-2009 will focus on two areas.
The first area is to improve in math skills in the areas of computations and
problem solving. I want to see the childern apply daily math skills to real
life problem solving activities. I will be giving timed tests weekly. The
second area is in writing. I will be working with your childern on the
writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
I would also like to see the children doing a lot of journal writing. This
is something that is fun and could continue at home.
