The Spinning Wheel:
- 2004-2012 Woodstock-Consultant Teacher (grades K-6)
Ø Partial Special Class (grades 3-4)
Ø AIS Math (grades 3-4)
Ø IMLI Reading (grades 1-5)
- 1989- 2004 Phoenicia- Self-Contained (grades 3-6),
Ø Self-Contained (grades K-3),
Ø Integrated Family Grouping (grades 3-4 and 5-6)
Ø Consultant Teacher (grades K-6)
- 1981-1989 Middle School and High School
Ø Self-contained: cognitively impaired (grades 7-12)
Ø Special Class English (grades 9-12)
Ø Resource Room and Study Skills (grades 7-12)
- 1980- Student Teaching- Middle School- Special Class
- 1979-1981- Substitute Teacher for the whole district
Fondest Teaching Memories:
- Family Grouping Teaching at Phoenicia.
- Watching learning disabled students finally learn to read with IMLI (Orton-Gillingham) reading.
- Environmental Education Trips to Maine and Massachusetts.
- Chaperoning Phoenicia’s Ski Program on Friday nights.
- Watching my own children, Alex and Eric, get a great education at Onteora.
- Earning my first real salary of $15,600 my first year and thinking I was on top of the world.
Biggest Debacle:
The brand new Superintendent was touring all the classrooms on the first day of school. When he came to my self-contained elementary classroom, I introduced him to the students. Then I asked the kids if they knew what a superintendent was. One little boy raised his hand and said he knew. “A superintendent sweeps the floors in the building and fixes the toilets when they overflow.”
Plans for Retirement:
- For Fun: Enjoy nature, hike, ski, kayak, mountain bike, play tennis and garden; and enjoy the holidays again.
- For Work: Tutor IMLI (Orton- Gillingham) reading or maybe give a try at being a realtor.
- For Home: Stay in the Catskills or we may consider moving to Denver, Colorado someday in the future to be closer to our son, Alex.
- For Community Service: Special Olympics- Head Coach
Email: BASEL04@aol.com
Anything Else: Thank you to the Onteora Teachers’ Association and all who worked so hard to ensure that we retire with financial security.