"My love for science began at a young age - I even won the Science Fair in 8th Grade at Warren-Walker School!"...
Gulls Teach!
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At Warren-Walker School, we believe the BEST teachers are students, too!
What does it mean to support our Faculty's Professional Growth & Development? The surest way to ensure that teachers continue to learn and grow is to support their efforts to become better at their craft. In turn, this allows them to seek new research-driven strategies, methodologies, and materials that are 1.) in keeping with our Mission, 2.) achieve our ever-evolving curricular goals and objectives, and 3.) engage and enlighten our students.
Why I Teach!
Mrs. Kukulj tells us that she comes “from a family of teachers; my Mom, a high school English teacher and my brother, a college professor”. Early in her college years...
With two years as a teacher at WWS under her belt, Mrs. Duron has taken the role of coordinating our Student Services on the Lower School campus...
Mrs. I is that unique WWS employee who has worked as an Office Administrator, parented (2) WWS students, taught Prekindergarten...
Drama teacher Diane Neil’s first experience with Warren-Walker School was as a member of a traveling, story-teller troupe called “Classics Alive”. In that assembly...
"Teaching chose me!” Miss Smith says. “I studied to become an artist, and to teach for fun, but the universe flipped it on me…”
Mr. Noyes is in his third year as a teacher for Warren-Walker Middle School, and has taught for eight years. Knowing he wanted to be a teacher since high school ...
"I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. One of my earliest memories was lining up my stuffed animals in front of a chalkboard to ‘teach class’. When I went to college, my path was clear although...
"I have always had a passion for Pediatric Oncology, but my volunteer hours at a hospital showed me that it just wasn't the right fit..."
Mrs. Songer has been teaching for 38 years, 32 of which have been as leader of our Junior Kindergarten program. Of her career path, she says “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher or a veterinarian...
It's very clear to all who know and work with him, that Mr. Lopez is perfectly placed as a teacher of our Early Leaning Center's youngest age group, our "baby gulls"....
Ms. Derouin is in her third year at our school and is the Drama and Wellness teacher at our Middle School. With a BA in Theatre Arts, she had always planned on becoming an actress...
"I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, so choosing my major in college was a “no-brainer’. As a child development major I had some amazing...
"I have learned so much over the course of my 21-year career at Warren-Walker School - especially from my colleagues and students!” As such, Lori Ornelas appreciates...
"On my 4th birthday, my preschool teacher made me a birthday card. It was handmade and had a picture of...
Sra. Marcia Martinez lends a bit of whimsicality to her story about her journey that led her to be a teacher. "There once was a little girl who lived on the border. Literally...
Sra. Cervantes has been teaching for 13 years, and this is her third year at Warren-Walker School, now as our Office Manager on the Point Loma campus. She reflects on her teaching experience...
Miss Robinson has taught for 13 years, 11 of them at Warren-Walker School. “I chose teaching because kids are real and honest - they still see the joy in little things...
Having spent the first fifteen years of his “working life” in the business world, Mr. Williams says he needed a change...
"For 17 years at WWS I have had the pleasure of teaching wonderful young adults, forming powerful relationships, laughing at ‘middle school humor'...
Currently our Lower School's Library & Information Technology teacher, Mrs. Schweller has been at WWS since 2009. “Originally, I went to art school to become an interior designer...
"As 'easy' as it might look, teaching elementary school students is a big responsibility; they are the future of the planet!"...
Gulls Teach! Fund for Faculty Professional Growth & Development
The purpose of the "Gulls Teach! Fund for Faculty Professional Growth & Development" is to provide the funding and resources necessary for our faculty & staff to pursue such opportunities. Some examples of past professional development workshops and trainings that have been funded by the school include:
- university coursework to achieve certification and attain advanced degrees
- webinars
- conferences
- curricular pilot trainings
- cost of substitute teacher coverage so faculty may observe colleagues, brainstorm and plan curriculum during the school day
- new & unique resources to support multi-faceted units of instruction (i.e. iPads, Robots, learning materials, etc.)
Gulls Teach! Funds have supported:
Math Fluency Support: "'Math Reflex' is the most effective program I've found for helping students practice their math facts and strengthen their fact fluency skills...it provides me with a quantifiable metric that replaces traditional testing and scoring to determine a student's mastery...and students love it!" - Keely Bandini/5th Grade
Writer's Workshop: "Both workshops I attended this year helped give me additional ideas that I could use to 'spice up' my writing teaching practice...it is always refreshing to have an opportunity to collaborate with other educators and benefit from their perspectives, too!" - Allison Deiter/ Middle School
Foss & Next Generation Science Standards: "The Kindergarten-5th grade Foss science curriculum provides an inquiry-based, hands-on approach to science, covering topics that are relevant today. It puts learning in the hands of students, allowing ample opportunity for them to ask questions, think critically, record data, and investigate real world problems. Students have also formed a deeper understanding of topics and are able to demonstrate their learning in many ways. Investigations are interactive, exciting, and integrate nicely with our Specialist programs. WWS students love Foss Science!" - Kyla LaRocca/1st Grade
California Credential Clearance: "Funds raised through "Gulls Teach" have afforded me the opportunity to have my induction program paid for with no personal out-of-pocket expenses. This benefit has enabled me to put all my effort in to teaching my class AND further my own learning!" - Patrick Williams/4th Grade
Infant/Toddler Certification: "Lessons I've learned from my certification classes have been directly applicable to my every day classroom routine: safety, development, fundamental theories, assessment strategies and positive guidance. I am able to prepare even more lesson plans that include developmentally appropriate activities which support a student's cognitive, social-emotional, and physical domains. My confidence in the classroom has been boosted tremendously!" - Holly Telliard/ELC