Welcome to my classroom web page! I am thrilled to be teaching at F. E. Burleson! It is a great privilege to teach and shape the lives of children!
About Me
I was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on April 19, 1976. I am the youngest of five children. I am married to Matt Balch and we have three wonderful children: Keelie Grace (5th grade), Avery (3rd grade) and Cayden (1st grade). My family and I attend Decatur Baptist Church.
We love watching our daughter swim on the swim team and our sons play baseball. We also enjoy watching Alabama football!! What I love the most is spending time with my family. I also enjoy running, watching sports, drawing, painting and shopping.
My Kindergarten Philosophy
I believe that the kindergarten classroom environment must be joyful, emotionally safe, and exciting.
An atmosphere where laughter and smiles occur regularly is a delightful place in which to live and learn.
I believe that all students deserve to know (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that their teacher respects and cares for them.
A child who knows he/she is loved by his/her teacher will be encouraged to strive to be the best he/she can possibly be.
I believe that everyone needs a little laughter each day.
The biggest issue with laughing and being silly in the classroom is not letting it get out of control so that we lose our focus.
But that doesn’t mean we should not allow it at all.
I believe that parents provide the foundation for success in school.
A parent is a child’s first teacher. The greatest factors that will determine children’s success in kindergarten happens in the five years before they start school. And the single most important activity that parents can do with their children to ensure success is to read to them regularly. One of my important roles is to encourage parents to participate in their child’s literacy development.
I believe that using a multisensory approach to teaching letters, sounds, integrating poems, songs and sign language and movement makes greater connections for kids.
Not only has this been proved in research, it is evident by watching children in our classrooms as well--and they love it!
I believe kindergarten is a wonderful place for children to be introduced to new opportunities and develop the “I can” attitude.
So often a child thinks he can’t do something until he is encouraged and carefully supported through the new learning. Then he has the “I can” experience. “Just give it a try” or “Do your best” are phrases that I often use. Children soon realize the phrase “I don’t know how” or “I can’t” is simply not acceptable in kindergarten. For some learners, breaking tasks down into smaller, doable pieces helps them build on success and understand the learning process.
I believe that children learn in different ways and there is not one magical right way to teach.
Children learn from different teaching approaches. As long as children feel cared for, safe and meaningfully engaged, they can learn in many different environments. As teachers, we need to support each other’s strengths. We need to find what works best for us that is aligned to what is right for children. We can honor multiple avenues for successful teaching and learning.
About Me
I was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on April 19, 1976. I am the youngest of five children. I am married to Matt Balch and we have three wonderful children: Keelie Grace (5th grade), Avery (3rd grade) and Cayden (1st grade). My family and I attend Decatur Baptist Church.
We love watching our daughter swim on the swim team and our sons play baseball. We also enjoy watching Alabama football!! What I love the most is spending time with my family. I also enjoy running, watching sports, drawing, painting and shopping.
My Kindergarten Philosophy
I believe that the kindergarten classroom environment must be joyful, emotionally safe, and exciting.
An atmosphere where laughter and smiles occur regularly is a delightful place in which to live and learn.
I believe that all students deserve to know (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that their teacher respects and cares for them.
A child who knows he/she is loved by his/her teacher will be encouraged to strive to be the best he/she can possibly be.
I believe that everyone needs a little laughter each day.
The biggest issue with laughing and being silly in the classroom is not letting it get out of control so that we lose our focus.
But that doesn’t mean we should not allow it at all.
I believe that parents provide the foundation for success in school.
A parent is a child’s first teacher. The greatest factors that will determine children’s success in kindergarten happens in the five years before they start school. And the single most important activity that parents can do with their children to ensure success is to read to them regularly. One of my important roles is to encourage parents to participate in their child’s literacy development.
I believe that using a multisensory approach to teaching letters, sounds, integrating poems, songs and sign language and movement makes greater connections for kids.
Not only has this been proved in research, it is evident by watching children in our classrooms as well--and they love it!
I believe kindergarten is a wonderful place for children to be introduced to new opportunities and develop the “I can” attitude.
So often a child thinks he can’t do something until he is encouraged and carefully supported through the new learning. Then he has the “I can” experience. “Just give it a try” or “Do your best” are phrases that I often use. Children soon realize the phrase “I don’t know how” or “I can’t” is simply not acceptable in kindergarten. For some learners, breaking tasks down into smaller, doable pieces helps them build on success and understand the learning process.
I believe that children learn in different ways and there is not one magical right way to teach.
Children learn from different teaching approaches. As long as children feel cared for, safe and meaningfully engaged, they can learn in many different environments. As teachers, we need to support each other’s strengths. We need to find what works best for us that is aligned to what is right for children. We can honor multiple avenues for successful teaching and learning.