Amy Haffner is a Pre-Kindergarten Teacher of a Blended 3-4 Year Old Classroom. She teaches at Illinois Park Early Learning Center in U-46 (Elgin Area School District, Illinois) and has taught for 19 years in early elementary and preschool. She loves working with this age group and enjoys seeing the early literacy grow in each of her students. Non-negotiables in her early learning classroom include developmentally appropriate activities that students choose to engage in. She believes that the classroom must be a child-centered environment, where students feel safe, respected and loved. Positive behavior is modeled and acknowledged always. When asked about something that she wants us to know about her as a teacher of young children, she shared a favorite quote: Care about every child unhesitatingly; think without hurry or confusion, and inspire one good feeling in every child, every day.
School:
Illinois Park Early Learning Center, U-46
Position:
Blended Pre-K Teacher
Number of Years Teaching:
19
Different Grades that you have taught:
First grade/full day; Kindergarten/half-day, K/1st Split; Blended Preschool
How did you know that you wanted to teach early learners:
I love working with this age group and I enjoy seeing the early literacy grow so much at this age.
What are a few “non-negotiables” of your early learning classroom (kinda your educational philosophy)?:
My classroom includes developmentally appropriate activities that students choose to engage in. My classroom is a child-centered environment where students feel safe, respected and loved. Positive behavior is modeled and acknowledged always.
What is something that you want us to know about you as a teacher of young children?:
I LOVE this quote: Care about every child unhesitatingly; think without hurry or confusion, and inspire one good feeling in every child, every day.
Anything else you would like your viewers to know?:
Our behavior as adults affects our students behavior in the classroom. When we model respect and remain calm, our students learn this as well. An administrator once said to me…”We are the ‘sharpies’ and we have to think about what kind of mark we leave…positive or negative.”
