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About
Perry: |
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A few years ago, a staff member reviewing one of my presentations at the Museum of Science said to me: “I always enjoy watching you teach, Perry.” When I asked her why, she said: “No matter what you are teaching, you can get the kids to gather around and listen. They look so interested; I want to jump in and try what they’re doing!” I think my colleague’s evaluation sums up the most important aspects of who I am as a teacher. Early on in my career I read a Zen koan which taught that a teacher could not perform without the permission of the student. That little statement has been a huge influence, as my best lessons are always the ones that hew the closest to the spirit of that koan: I share my enthusiasm for what I teach, I explain why it’s important, I get my students invested in the lesson or activity, and I try to make it enjoyable.
Teaching for me is all about sharing. It’s not enough for me to just discover some new thing or fact, I need to share it, as my long-suffering family will attest. The joy and wonder I feel when I learn new things, I need to share. I get the same feeling when I can help someone else understand something better. Helping someone experience the joy and wonder of learning new things, and then sharing those feelings have always given me the greatest satisfaction and happiness, and for more than sixteen years, I was able to share in thousands of learning experiences while teaching in museums and nature centers.
I worked for sixteen years at a variety of nature centers and museums, including Boston's Museum of Science and for Mass. Audubon. After receiving a Master's Degree in Elementary Education and Massachusetts state teaching certification, I have been working as a substitute teacher in the third, fourth, and fifth grades. My teaching experiences have ranged from blacksmithing to fifth-grade math; from working with live owls to art projects with pipe cleaners and egg cartons. I have taught on the tops of mountains, in front of crowds in an auditorium, and even in the exotic environment of a regular school classroom. Perhaps you will be the source of my next subject and teaching location!
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Learn More About
Perry's Experience:
elementary (k-6th)
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My formal teaching credentials include a Master's degree in Education, conferred by Lesley University in 2007. I also hold a Massachusetts Elementary Education License for grades 1 - 6.
My classroom experience includes four months of student teaching in the third grade at the Jordan Jackson School in Mansfield, Massachusetts. I have also taught for four months as a long-term substitute in the fifth grade at the Henri A. Yelle School in Norton, Massachusetts. I have additional experience substituting on an as-needed basis in the third, fourth, and fifth grades in several local school districts.
I am familiar with the curriculum requirements of the third, fourth and fifth grades, and have taught in all subjects at these grade levels. I have successfully worked with students with a broad spectrum of abilities. I am particularly interested in effective teaching strategies for students with ADHD, and have invested a significant portion of my professional development in this area.
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Find other tutors in Plainville, MA
American history - biology - botany - elementary (k-6th) - English - phonics - physical science - reading - writing
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