Sarah Neff

What do you teach at B’nai Shalom?
I teach 1st Grade General Studies.

Why do you teach? 
I teach because there is not a better way to spend my day! I love working with children and seeing their excitement when they are having fun while learning or discovering something new.

Why do you teach at B’nai Shalom? 
I teach at B’nai Shalom so I can actually be a teacher! At B’nai Shalom teachers are given the freedom to teach the students. I don’t spend my days filling out paperwork, sitting in meetings discussing data and testing students. I do have paperwork and assessments to give and I also attend meetings, but everything is done in a way that allows me to spend most of my time working with children. I am able to really get to know my students and learn their individual needs, strengths and interests so that I am able to help each child become successful.

What do you want students to get from having known you? 
I want my students to know that they are loved and safe. I want them to know that they are able to express themselves and feel confident in themselves as learners and independent thinkers. I want my students to know that through hard work and determination that they can accomplish anything.

What is the most important life lesson students will learn in your class?
I want my students to learn that everyone is important and everyone has value. I teach my students that we are all important and that everyone is unique. I want my students to listen and learn from each other, not just from me. I want them to know that being a good student does not mean just getting the right answer, but that it also means having good character.

What is the most important life lesson you have learned from your students?
My students have taught me to not take everything so seriously and to have fun. I have learned that if we have fun while learning the lessons are more valuable to them and they will remember what has been taught.

How do you teach to the way a child learns? 
Every child is different, so you need to figure out individual learning styles and mold instruction to reach each student. At B’nai Shalom we are able to get to know each child’s needs, so we are able to adapt our lessons to help each student understand the concepts being taught on a higher level.

What types of professional development have you completed in the past year? 
Over the last year I have had training on how to assess students using DIBELS, an early literacy tool, and MAP assessments. I attended the in-service at B’nai Shalom for Singapore Math. I have also had the opportunity to go to a few North Carolina Association of Independent Schools conferences, including the recent Annual Conference and the New Teacher Cohort, which is available to teachers who are new to independent schools.

In what ways do you collaborate with other teachers? 
The staff has been very welcoming. Since this is my first year at B’nai Shalom, I have had many questions about curriculum and procedures. I can go to anyone on the staff for any reason and I will get the help I need. The teachers here are very positive and not under a lot of stress. We are able to work together to plan creative, hands-on lessons.