Welcome to what will be a wonderful and exciting year in the 1A classroom. My name is Susan Sleight and I have been a first grade teacher at St. Michael’s School for 12 years. I think you will enjoy learning and making new friends as we experience this year’s adventures together. I knew in childhood that I wanted to be a teacher, and had an opportunity to earn my degree from Colby-Sawyer College and Ohio-Wesleyan University. Prior to the birth of my first child I enrolled in a master’s degree program at the University of Rochester in special education.
Working with your first grade children is such a wonderful opportunity to share experiences while learning more about words, numbers, reading, phonics, social studies and science . I have always tried to incorporate new methods of teaching, ones that can challenge the class while creating an environment that promotes student interaction and creative thinking. I am a big believer in reading, which you might see when you examine the extensive book collection in the back of the classroom.
I began teaching many years ago as an aide in an elementary classroom in Lincoln/ Sudbury. My first teaching assignment came while living in Marietta Georgia. After following my husband’s many work related moves, I became a pre-school teacher at Village School in Boxford and a substitute in Middleton. In 1998, I was invited to join the staff of Saint Michaels and have never looked back.
I have lived in North Andover with my husband and two children since 1986. My daughter is now a teacher of special needs children in Southboro and is preparing for a 2011 wedding. My son resides in Andover; so we are fortunate that everyone still lives nearby.
So let’s get ready for a full year of fun, learning, and new friends. I think it should be a terrific year to remember.