Kindergarten teacher Cassandra Joss hopes one day to teach teachers and even develop curriculum for them to follow.
For now, she’ll settle for sharing what she’s found works best in the classroom.
The Burr Elementary School teacher is one of 96 instructors nationwide selected to participate in the Master Teacher Project, a program that invites some of the nation’s best teachers to share their best practices and methods and make them available to other teachers.
“The Master Teacher Project is an incredible free tool for educators that provides Common Core aligned lessons right at your fingertips,” Joss said.
A teacher for 11 years, all with the Utica Community Schools district and the last six at the kindergarten level, Joss stresses “real-world” applications in her classroom.
For example: Kindergartners in her class recently began to learn to print their names. But beyond the mechanics of letter formation, dotting I’s and crossing T’s, Joss encouraged her young charges to “watch mom and dad” when they go to a store or the bank and observe how they sign their names.
“Your name is a very important thing,” Joss said.
The 96 master teachers will create a collection of free resources as they describe instructional strategies and classroom management procedures behind their successful teaching. Six Michigan teachers were selected for the project.
The content developed by Joss and the other master teachers will be made available in stages on betterlesson.com — first to a select group of testers and then to the public next spring, once the teachers have core content ready.
In addition to her teaching experience, Joss is employed as a writing facilitator for Oakland University, where she’s working on her doctorate degree in early childhood education and development. She hopes to teach at the university level.
When students leave her classroom at the end of the school year, Joss said, she hopes they carry with them a passion for learning that will remain for life.
“I want them to have a love of learning and have confidence in their skills,” she said.
Joss’ participation in the Master Teacher Project serves as an example of the quality of teaching and learning that takes place daily in Utica Community Schools, said district Superintendent Christine Johns.
“This award is a true reflection of the quality of teaching and learning that occurs in a Utica Community Schools classroom,” Johns said. “We are very proud of Cassandra Joss and the strong academic foundation she is creating for her students at Burr Elementary.”