Michelle Burke

MBurke528@yahoo.com

 

I am a married mother of two lovely children.  My daughter is ten and my son is six.  I am very busy running around taking them to all of their extra curricular activities.  My husband and I have been together sixteen years.  Wow!  We have lived in Westchester County for the past six years.  We love it.  We also have a small Yorkshire Terrier named Peanut!  Life is good.

 

I can hardly believe that it has already been nine years since I began teaching.  The time has gone so quickly.  I can’t begin to describe how much I have learned in those nine years.  I started out getting my masters degree in education administration and in the end did not like what I was doing so I went back to school for a second masters degree in elementary education.  I am so grateful that I made that decision.  I absolutely love what I do and would not change anything. 

 

In my nine years of teaching, I have taught every grade from Kindergarten to 4^th grade.  I think it has given me a greater perspective because now I feel like I know what each student should know at each grade.  I know what benchmarks they should be by first grade or second, etc.  Each grade is so different, yet the same.  I have enjoyed all my experiences, however, I do enjoy the 4^th grade because I truly enjoy having the conversations with my 4^th graders that I could not have with kindergartners. 

 

In my nine years I have also gone through a great deal of professional development.  I have done quite a bit of workshops through the Teacher’s College.  I went to countless training while I taught in the city on behavior management and cooperative learning.  Now that I teach in White Plains City Schools, I have been to quite a bit of technology professional development courses such as Whiteboard training. I enjoy going to various Professional Developments.  Like anything else in life you truly get what you put into it.

 

Overall, my basic philosophy is that all students can learn.  Even in the smallest of scales, a child can learn.  I see it everyday in my student’s faces.  I love to see that light bulb go on over their heads! 

What motivates me is, knowing that I can make a difference in a child’s life.  I see the effect I have had on my students and there is nothing more rewarding than having those students visit you a few years down the road, to tell you how much they missed your class or a card you received thanking you for all your hard work.  It is truly priceless and I know just how lucky I am.   I can’t think of any other profession that is more rewarding than teaching.