Caitlyn Spires

1st Grade Teacher Investigator

[The State Newspaper @thestate]

Anyone who has seen 15-year-old Sanaa Amenhotep is asked to call 911. https://t.co/wdIfKWpNYb

[Anjali Huynh @anjalihuynh]

My final @CNN piece features Dasia Taylor, a 17-year-old from Iowa who wants to make surgeries more equitable using a unique ingredient: beets.

Feels fitting for my last story this spring to highlight an incredible student from my high school, read here:

https://t.co/BR45rMUr9N

[Patrick Kelly @plkelly27]

Quick Saturday thought- why does it sometimes seem that our society has more trust in a standardized test to measure student learning during a pandemic than we do in the certified professionals that are doing the work of guiding that learning?

[Richland School District Two @RichlandTwo]

RECRUITING BLACK MALE EDUCATORS: EJ Carrion speaks with Richland School District 2 Superintendent Dr. Baron R. Davis about the importance of black male teachers in education.
https://t.co/MEhDnCnOsZ
#PremierStartsHere
@DrBaronDavis
@EJCarrion
@agents4teens

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

As we began our nonfiction writing unit, I encouraged the children to see themselves as teachers. We read and responded to this quote by Erik Erikson and I was amazed at their responses. Peep the quote-worthy response by one of my scholars in the picture. #whyIteach @JCEScholars

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

Thanks @Itecswick for helping us screencast an oral administration of our math quiz! This allowed students to pause the reading to work, rewind the reading for comprehension, and hear directions told several different ways. #technologyineducation

[Dr. Lauryn Mascareñaz @laurynmaria]

Teachers! Repeat after me:
I will not have my students make "Indian" feathers/clothes.
I will not culturally appropriate an entire people for "cute" activities.
I will tell my students the truth about this country's relationship with Indigenous people.
#PinterestIsNotPedagogy

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

This is why we let children create freely in respectful spaces. These scholars crafted thoughtful cards in Spanish then taught their classmates how to read them in Spanish and translate them to English. #WhyITeach #bilingualismmatters

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

@mrjonesjcemusic @JCEParents @JCEScholars It’s the best adult de-escalation strategy!

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

“So the Milky Way is our galaxy? It’s also what I say when I’m on the way to get milk for my cereal. Can’t eat dry cereal!” Thanks @SCStateMuseum for having us! We learned and laughed all day! @JCEScholars

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

After reading “After the Fall” (Humpty Dumpty’s sequel) a scholar was inspired to share an egg-related experiment with his classmates. He brought in the supplies this morning and I may or may not have assumed he meant boiled eggs...#surprise #learningisfun 🤦🏼‍♀️

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

Just a friendly snowball fight to add some movement to our class discussion on growth mindset following our reading of “After the Fall” by Dan Santat! Topics of conversation also included foreshadowing and onomatopoeia. #wegrowdendrites

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

My own third grade teacher allowed us to put shaving cream all over our desks when “they needed a good cleaning anyway.” Happy to be making those memories with my own scholars on their last day of third grade! #loveliveshere

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

Snippet of a conversation overheard during dismissal...”Yeah we don’t have our master’s degrees...yet!” #lovethesescholars

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

@mrjonesjcemusic Blaming it on Wednesday brain! They actually both make me cry...I’m such a sap!

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

Impromptu jam sesh with @mrjonesjcemusic this morning. Is it weird that our school song makes me tear up a bit? #theyreallyaregrowingup #almostfourthgraders

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

Me: Why did you choose a bar graph instead of a picture graph to represent your data?
AM: ...because our data is about shoes and those are hard to draw...

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

“We believe this article is funny. Wanna hear our evidence?” ...not exactly what was on the lesson plan for the day, but look at the JOY on their faces! #TDApractice

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

“What a Wonderful World” where our scholars can display their talents so proudly! Oh how I love these kiddos! @JCEScholars

[Caitlyn Spires @CSpiresMcDonald]

Z. puts a pencil in D.’s face, pretending it’s a microphone. Z: “What are you feeling after this project?” D: “Proud!”