Think back to when you were a student, back-to-school shopping, finding your classroom, and the exciting lessons that would soon fill your day. The first day of school jitters that were calmed by the friendly, welcoming face, and celebrating the “ah ha” moments when you finally figured out how to solve the problem. Then there was the time in kindergarten, when you went to the restroom but couldn’t remember the way back to your classroom. As panic set in, that friendly face walked around the corner and they knew exactly where your classroom was. These champions make math exciting and words come to life through reading and writing, they stood beside you and cheered as you mastered kickball, that difficult note, or the masterpiece that needed a little finesse. Although everyone’s school experience was different, teachers are the common thread throughout classrooms and schools. They are the first to welcome you to a new class, they spend extra time working through a challenging problem, and they give you a high five when you accomplish your goals.
St. Vrain is the proud home to nearly 2,000 teachers who spend their days preparing our students for the future. Join us in celebrating our teachers and learn what they enjoy about teaching, why they became teacher and what their favorite memory is from the days they spent as a student in the classroom.
Thank you to all of our teachers.
Getting to know:
Leslie Pritchard
Math
Mead Middle School
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
What I enjoy most about teaching is my interaction with the students, helping them find success, especially when they think it is impossible, and trying to make learning fun.
Briefly tell us about the path you took to becoming a teacher?
I went to college right after high school, majoring in business management. I later got married but never finished my degree, instead worked to help my husband finish school. I decided to go back to school when my youngest at the time was four, I choose to major in education so that I’d have a schedule similar to my own children because being a mom and there for my kids was a priority. Math education was a great fit, it is a subject that always came easy to me and I enjoyed.
What is your favorite memory from when you were a student?
One of my favorite memories was attending what was called 6th Grade School Forest; we learned about nature and did group and team building trust activities. As I think back, most of my memories are around the connections I made with teachers, I can’t tell you what subject they taught, but I know they loved teaching and loved the students.