Deborah H.

Meet Deborah

• Comfortable with pets

Children and animals enrich my life, as I have enriched their lives as well. Presently, I volunteer for a local large dog rescue. My career as an elementary teacher gave me the ability to make a difference in the lives of young children for over 22 years. My love of reading and immersing children in good books encouraged their love of reading, and led me to graduate with a Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist from the University of Buffalo. As an elementary teacher, I am New York State Certified to teach children from nursery school to grade 6. Further, as a Reading Specialist, I am New York State Certified for grades K-12. My teaching career in an upper middle class school district in the Town of Amherst, NY gratified me with 22 years as a third grade teacher, until my retirement. I stayed home with my own family of Read more four children until my youngest was ready to begin elementary school. I provided them with a love of learning and the language immersion to begin reading and writing by the beginning of elementary school. Children’s love of reading and being read to, to having a wide spoken and understood vocabulary, as well as many, varied experiences like zoos, parks, libraries, museums, art galleries, public gatherings, community activities, volunteering, preschool, and interactions with other people (and practicing their manners), all provided by parents and caregivers, are basic building blocks during their preschool lives. These children enter kindergarten with the tools for success and the knowledge that learning is fun. Our third grade teachers taught all subject areas (including cursive writing and computer skills) in our mostly self-contained classrooms and computer lab. Our school provided physical education, music, art, and library/media skills. There were field trips in school as well as after school clubs and activities to join; many offered by their classroom teachers. As teachers, we provided daily outside recess to our children on our playgrounds and grassy areas. Personally, I had a cluster of ELL, English Language Learners, many of them children of University of Buffalo faculty and students, for my entire career. These children greatly enriched our social studies curriculum of countries around the world with their personal experiences and expanded our lives as well. Often I had a special education group which stayed with us for part, to most, of their day. Other times, I had a cluster of high achievers for whom I provided extended learning in the classroom, and who were also provided enrichment by our Gifted Learning Specialist. In our K-4 school, there were generally 5 third grade classrooms. As teachers on a 5 member team, we worked in cooperation when planning team schedules, writing lesson plans, planning and developing units of study in all subject areas, gathering new materials, and so much more. Not all teams were fortunate in this way, as it was not mandated, but we benefited from one another’s strengths and knowledge, which both assisted and expanded our lives. Later in my career, as my parents, living in Florida, became older and less healthy, and our children had grown, we retired and moved to be live nearer to my parents. And to, of course, spare our own aging bodies the cold Buffalo winters. Being here in Florida for more than 5 years, I can say the City of Tampa and surrounding towns are fantastic. I live in the lovely, small town of Safety Harbor. Since I live in paradise there is little need for travel! I can’t wait to meet and get to know your children and pets. I have a background of education, experiences in life and career, and a love for children and pets, especially dogs. I don’t have any grandchildren (although I hope to have some someday) so there is no competition for my time.

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Experience