Michelle Kingston
Kindergarten Assistant
E-mail: E-mail
Phone: 3037569481
Joined St. Anne's in: 2019
Degrees & Certifications: BA English Literature, OG Certification
Years in education: 4
Favorite thing about St. Anne's: The welcoming and inclusive community of staff and parents. It is one of the most supportive environments I have ever experienced.
Why did you choose to teach? I was in my early 50s, struggling in a corporate job when a friend of mine encouraged me to become a reading tutor, and when I responded that I had no experience, she told me it didn’t matter. She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself and said I’d make a good tutor because I knew what it was like to be a kid that was struggling; it wasn’t about struggling academically but struggling in other areas of life. She said half of tutoring would be making the child believe they could do it. So I took a leap of faith, quit my job and worked on my OG certification. I love the one-on-one connection that comes with tutoring and watching a child’s confidence blossom, especially when their reading scores improve. When the position of kindergarten teacher’s assistant opened up at St. Anne’s, I jumped at the chance. I told my friend I was going to miss the one-on-one experience and she said that’s true, but now you get to help more; once again she was right. It’s amazing to see the joy on a child’s face when things start to click. I’m still getting used to the brutal honesty of kindergarteners, but love the fact every day is different. I think I’m learning more from them than they are learning from me.
Hobbies or interests outside of school: Golf, reading, and hanging with friends.
Stuck on an island, what book do you bring with you?/Favorite book: First Indian on the Moon, by Sherman Alexie. I love Sherman’s poetry and am in awe of how much he says with so few words.
Degrees & Certifications: BA English Literature, OG Certification
Years in education: 4
Favorite thing about St. Anne's: The welcoming and inclusive community of staff and parents. It is one of the most supportive environments I have ever experienced.
Why did you choose to teach? I was in my early 50s, struggling in a corporate job when a friend of mine encouraged me to become a reading tutor, and when I responded that I had no experience, she told me it didn’t matter. She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself and said I’d make a good tutor because I knew what it was like to be a kid that was struggling; it wasn’t about struggling academically but struggling in other areas of life. She said half of tutoring would be making the child believe they could do it. So I took a leap of faith, quit my job and worked on my OG certification. I love the one-on-one connection that comes with tutoring and watching a child’s confidence blossom, especially when their reading scores improve. When the position of kindergarten teacher’s assistant opened up at St. Anne’s, I jumped at the chance. I told my friend I was going to miss the one-on-one experience and she said that’s true, but now you get to help more; once again she was right. It’s amazing to see the joy on a child’s face when things start to click. I’m still getting used to the brutal honesty of kindergarteners, but love the fact every day is different. I think I’m learning more from them than they are learning from me.
Hobbies or interests outside of school: Golf, reading, and hanging with friends.
Stuck on an island, what book do you bring with you?/Favorite book: First Indian on the Moon, by Sherman Alexie. I love Sherman’s poetry and am in awe of how much he says with so few words.
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