Meet Ms. Slattery: First Grade Guided by Experience, Warmth, and a Love of Learning
"Observe and listen to children because when they ask 'why?' they are not simply asking for the answer from you. They are requesting the courage to find a collection of possible answers."
That's Ms. Slattery's favorite quote, from educator Loris Malaguzzi and it's more than words on a page. It's the foundation of how she teaches. Rather than simply handing over answers, Ms. Slattery gives her first graders the tools, confidence, and encouragement to think for themselves; building the kind of academic and intellectual independence that pays off far beyond this school year.
That philosophy didn't come from nowhere. Ms. Slattery studied Early Childhood Education at Columbia College Chicago. She earned her teaching certificate in 2010 and spent years teaching in Chicago classrooms before taking time off after her first daughter was born. During that hiatus, she stayed connected to teaching by instructing Pilates, and last year she returned to the classroom with school-age children bringing renewed energy and a wealth of experience with her.
For families, this means your first grader is in capable, well-trained hands with a teacher who knows how to build strong academic footing in reading, writing, and number sense, while treating every "why" as an invitation to think, wonder, and grow. Ask Ms. Slattery about the best part of working with children, and she lights up:
"The best part of working with children is seeing the initiative they take in their own learning and the joy that they are able to find while doing so."
That's the heart of her classroom. One where academic growth and joyful discovery aren't separate goals, but happen together, side by side.
Getting to Know Ms. Slattery
Outside the classroom, Ms. Slattery's playlist leans toward Florence + the Machine and Taylor Swift ("haters gonna hate, hate, hate..."). Autumn is her favorite season, hands down. "The crispness in the air, the leaves changing color and falling down all around us," she says and she's not shy about admitting she loves Halloween and the whole spooky season.
For families of first graders, here's what it comes down to: your child will be taught by someone with real training, real classroom experience, and a real love for who they are as a person, not just as a student. With Ms. Slattery, academic progress and social-emotional growth aren't in competition; they go hand in hand, every step of the way. We're so glad she's part of our faculty.
