The Spinning Wheel:
- 27 1/2 years at Phoenicia teaching Second Grade, Multi-Age Second/Third, Third/Fourth, First Grade and Resource Room
- 3 years Children’s Annex classroom teacher Therapeutic Nursery & Autistic Primary Class
- 2 1/2 years Gateway Community Industries teacher of Adult Daily Living Skills
- 1 year Woodcrest Manor, adult residential program
- 3 years St. Christopher’s Elementary School Kindergarten & First Grade teacher
- 1 year St. Peter’s Elementary School Second Grade Teacher
Fondest Teaching Memory: I have so many fond memories but one that really stands out is when I was teaching a 3/4 combination grade. I shared my Ukrainian egg decorating hobby with my class. They loved it and wanted to buy their own kits. I gave a kit to one of my very artistic students who I knew couldn’t afford it. He then went on to create an original egg with a portrait of me on it . That really meant a lot to me. 2 years later I was so touched when, at his 6th grade graduation, he publicly thanked me for encouraging his artistic talent. It’s moments like these that make teaching so special!
Biggest Teaching Debacle: I’ve certainly had my share of debacles! Quite a few, unfortunately, involve animals as I’ve taken the study of “life cycles” to a hands on level. There was the time when, as a first grade teacher, our rabbit “fainted” (permanently!) or the morning I came into my room and found the floor covered with, at least ten gallons of water that had leaked from my trout tank. The worst, by far, was when my second graders incubated eggs and had about twenty adorable chicks in a brooder box. Without going into details let me just say that they all met their demise due to an oversight on my part. It had to be one of the saddest days in my career! The kids were crying, I was crying...it was awful! The next day they came in and we ate cupcakes and talked about all the fun we had with the chicks. I can only hope that, perhaps, I gave them some skills for coping with loss. Happily, though, these were isolated instances and the majority of my years provided positive “animal learning experiences” for my students.
Plans for Retirement:
spend time with my family & friends; travel; enjoy our condo in St. Croix; relax
Email: vfro@aol.com
Anything Else: I can’t believe that I’m really retiring! I’ve been so blessed. I’m very grateful to the wonderful students, staff, and parents that I’ve worked with over the years.