My name is Claire Steinbeck, and I
joined DC Teaching Fellows (DCTF) in 2010 as a candidate for an elementary
school special education position. When I joined DCTF, I’d just finished a year
of volunteer work in a DC public school (DCPS) classroom with a group of
creative, energetic, and enthusiastic third graders. I knew these children and
their peers across the city deserved the very best opportunities possible, and I
wanted to find a way to continue working to give them those opportunities. DC
Teaching Fellows prepared me to become an effective classroom teacher and to increase
student achievement. Through the next several blog entries, I hope I can help relay
to you what has kept me committed to this mission day after day in my own
classroom.
I’ve switched roles slightly every year for the past three years, so there are plenty of stories to tell from a variety of settings. During my first two years as a teacher, I taught elementary school and early childhood students with disabilities in a DCPS school. I’m currently in my third year teaching and have taken a new position as an early childhood special education and intervention teacher at DC Prep’s Benning Elementary Campus. DC Prep is the highest-performing network of charter schools in Washington, serving three-year-olds through 8th grade at tuition-free campuses in Wards 5 and 7 of the city. My role involves working with preschool, prekindergarten, and kindergarten students to support their success in the classroom. I work with other dedicated and committed educators to ensure that our students – also known as “Preppies” – build strong academic and social skills that will prepare them for a successful future. Throughout the day, these supports range from leading small group lessons to developing student support plans for individual students in order to address their specific needs.
Some days, teaching is tough – as any job is bound to be. At the end of even the toughest days, however, there’s still nothing else I can imagine being as rewarding as this job. In January of my first year teaching, President Barack Obama pointed out during his State of the Union address that in South Korea, teachers are known as "nation builders.” It was a timely reminder of the importance of education that still resonates with me, and I look forward to sharing snapshots of what it’s like to be part of this work. I teach because I believe in my students’ ability to play whatever future “nation building” role they want to take on, and because I want to prepare them to realize those goals. If you, too, are interested in nation building alongside me in our country’s capital, find out more about the DC Teaching Fellows’ application process at our website.
I’ve switched roles slightly every year for the past three years, so there are plenty of stories to tell from a variety of settings. During my first two years as a teacher, I taught elementary school and early childhood students with disabilities in a DCPS school. I’m currently in my third year teaching and have taken a new position as an early childhood special education and intervention teacher at DC Prep’s Benning Elementary Campus. DC Prep is the highest-performing network of charter schools in Washington, serving three-year-olds through 8th grade at tuition-free campuses in Wards 5 and 7 of the city. My role involves working with preschool, prekindergarten, and kindergarten students to support their success in the classroom. I work with other dedicated and committed educators to ensure that our students – also known as “Preppies” – build strong academic and social skills that will prepare them for a successful future. Throughout the day, these supports range from leading small group lessons to developing student support plans for individual students in order to address their specific needs.
Some days, teaching is tough – as any job is bound to be. At the end of even the toughest days, however, there’s still nothing else I can imagine being as rewarding as this job. In January of my first year teaching, President Barack Obama pointed out during his State of the Union address that in South Korea, teachers are known as "nation builders.” It was a timely reminder of the importance of education that still resonates with me, and I look forward to sharing snapshots of what it’s like to be part of this work. I teach because I believe in my students’ ability to play whatever future “nation building” role they want to take on, and because I want to prepare them to realize those goals. If you, too, are interested in nation building alongside me in our country’s capital, find out more about the DC Teaching Fellows’ application process at our website.
