Karen Casey-Robinson

• As a kindergarten teacher, I have always focused on understanding the needs of individual students and creating a curriculum to meet their educational needs.
• Attended professional development workshops in order to stay abreast of current trends in education. I am skilled in Balanced Literacy and, recently, in the Science of Reading.
• Improved students' reading independence using methodical sensory lessons on phonemic awareness and strategies for decoding by sounding out words.
• Integrated music, art, drama, literature, science, math into lesson plans for hands-on learning experiences.
• Created a variety of learning experiences which incorporated technology into instruction.
• Implemented effective classroom management strategies such as setting limits while encouraging self-discipline.
• Coordinated conferences with parents to discuss student progress and establish goals for improvement and advancement.

I have just completed training for the Leader in Me, which uses the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as a framework for guiding each child to find the gift within themselves.

I was in the DROP program, retired from Country Hills, and needed to be out only 30 days before returning to the classroom. I was hired as an interim substitute in kindergarten the first year, and first grade the next year.

I began my teaching at Country Hills when it first opened. I was fortunate to work with the principal in ordering curriculum materials. I collaborated with colleagues in establishing a book room for reading instruction. At Country Hills, I was a team leader for 20 years, which allowed me to guide and model for new teachers, plan field trips, and share necessary county updates with my kindergarten team. I enrolled in the DROP program for five years and retired in 2010, knowing that I still had the desire to teach.

I was fortunate to get a job right out of college, and James S. Hunt was an open school with no walls.

Kindergarten had just transitioned to full-day instruction with naps. At the time, most children came to kindergarten without preschool, and instruction included colors, shapes, nursery rhymes, and teaching the alphabet. I was a team leader for ten of the fifteen years.