In 2018 I joined the Lacey Township Preschool team and began teaching PSD -Preschool Disabled and Inclusion. Once again I fell in love with preschool as well as my new district and my amazing new team. I immediately signed up at Kean University to complete my masters in Special Education and in May 2021 I will finally graduate. My aim is to hang my hat at the Lacey School District and be a foundational part of a growing early childhood program is a community oriented district.
In 2018 I joined the Lacey Township Preschool team and began teaching PSD -Preschool Disabled and Inclusion. Once again I fell in love with preschool as well as my new district and my amazing new team. I immediately signed up at Kean University to complete my masters in Special Education and in May 2021 I will finally graduate. My aim is to hang my hat at the Lacey School District and be a foundational part of a growing early childhood program is a community oriented district.
In 2018 I joined the Lacey Township Preschool team and began teaching PSD -Preschool Disabled and Inclusion. Once again I fell in love with preschool as well as my new district and my amazing new team. I immediately signed up at Kean University to complete my masters in Special Education and in May 2021 I will finally graduate. My aim is to hang my hat at the Lacey School District and be a foundational part of a growing early childhood program is a community oriented district.
Inspired by my overwhelming love for Books, Books and more Books along with the need for some funding in the Preschool Program where I taught, I helped to coordinate a book fair to raise money and help get us BOOKS!!
The theme of the book fair was Circus. My class kicked off the decorating for this event by creating a hallway filled with clowns. The Book fair was a HUGE success.
AMERICAN ART
AMERICAN ART
AMERICAN ART
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ABOUT
Hello my name is Stephanie K. Danziger and I am super excited to share my journey in education with you. I feel very blessed and fortunate to work with children and I have had a very interesting path filled with many twists and turns that have made me the teacher I am. On a personal level I love reading, writing, art, technology and the the beach. I have an amazing family which includes a wonderful husband, four awesome children, and loads of nieces and nephews. In my free time I am very involved in Girl Scouts and I love to volunteer in my community. I invite you take a few minutes to read my story below and follow my surprising journey into education.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
You can find all the necessary documents that illustrate my qualifications for a teaching position. To review my resume, certifications, transcripts and awards please click Credentials These items will demonstrate how I am "officially" certified to teach; however, it is through the pictures, experiences and letters shared throughout this portfolio that you will discover all that I have to offer as an educator. I invite you to explore this portfolio and discover how my vast experiences in education, technology, art and business make me a one of a kind candidate for the classroom.
BECOMING A TEACHER
I have always had a connection with children. As a child, I babysat and worked as a camp counselor. As I grew I knew I was meant to work with children. In college I majored in Science, Letters & Societies and minored in Elementary Education. While attending college, I worked full time as an Administrator for an Insurance Brokerage firm at One World Trade Center. During my years there I boomed with the technology era and realized I had a natural ability with computers as well. I mastered one program after another and quickly climbed the ranks of the company.
LIFE HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE PLANS
When I graduated college and gave my two weeks notice to begin my teaching career, I was offered a promotion to Regional Northeast Coordinator. The position was impossible to turn down. The job offered full tuition reimbursement to pursue a Master’s Degree in English, a vast amount of training and experience in technology and endless travel opportunities. In this position, I was responsible for managing 18 Hub coordinators throughout the region, supporting 300+ employees up and down the East Coast in newly developed software, hosting multiple trainings, designing instructional manuals and serving as a Regional Support Desk. It was the opportunity of a life time a and I was thankful for it. The plan was to learn all that I could in this new job, pay off my loans, get married and obtain a debt free Master's in English, which I knew would enhance my future teaching career. When the time was right I would relocate to New Jersey and begin my journey in education.
THAT FATEFUL DAY IN SEPTEMBER
All was going perfectly according to the plan. I was 30+ credits into my Master's Degree, I'd traveled thousands of miles across the country, I was on the forefront of the technological boom and I was telecommuting before such a thing existed. Then on September 11, 2001 I called out of work sick and my life was forever changed. My entire department was lost that day and I gained a new realization that life was not guaranteed. I spent 3 years working from home and rebuilding my department virtually with a small national team.
During this time I became a mother and felt a strong pull to return to working with children. In 2004, my department was relocated to Minnesota. I was offered a relocation package that I quickly declined. I had just relocated to my dream little suburb in New Jersey and I was ready to start teaching.
WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES
I couldn't believe that 10 years had passed just like that! As soon as my job ended I began taking my Praxis Exams and pursuing the necessary steps to receive my certification in New Jersey. At that time I joined a mommy and me art class at a new Children's Art Studio that had recently opened in town. The moment I stepped in the studio I fell in love. Three months after my first class, I purchased the Art Studio named Smarty Paints with a partner and spent five AMAZING years teaching Art to students 18 months - 18 years old. It was a phenomenal experience that allowed me the opportunity to become a mother to 4 of my own spectacular children, while working with students of all ages and sharing my love and passion for art and creative learning.
At Smarty Paints I created my own curriculum, hosted mommy and me classes, hired artists, designed and executed outstanding Art Shows and celebrated thousands of kids birthday parties at the studio and offsite. It was another dream come true! It was a wonderful time and I loved being "Ms. Stephanie the Smarty Paints Teacher." As time went on the economy began to suffer and big decisions had to be made. My partner wanted to sell, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I had established strong relationships in the community and I couldn't pass them on. Instead we agreed to liquidate and possibly continue on separately. I was so sad to see the studio close, but I did not have time to be sad for long. (To learn more about my experiences at Smarty Paints click here)
BEST TEACHERS ARE LIFE LONG STUDENTS
Three months after I closed the doors to Smarty Paints, I received a phone call from the local preschool program I had volunteered at and was offered a position as Head Preschool Teacher for a brand new class they were opening that January. It was a multi-age preschool housed in a public elementary school with a part time inclusive setting. I was ecstatic and so ready to start my official teaching career!
I quickly learned that in New Jersey I needed a different certification for preschool. I immediately enrolled in Kean University's Graduate P-3 Certification Program and attended classes while teaching. Attending Graduate school while teaching was an impactful and beneficial experience and forever molded me as a teacher. I loved learning something in school that I was able to immediately test and implement in my classroom. Within a year I finished the program with straight A's, received my standard certificate and spent 3 years teaching preschool. During that time I had an excellent rapport with my students, their families, the child study team and my colleagues.
I was awarded an Innovative Educator Grant that I co-wrote with a colleague and I implemented a home/school literacy program called B.A.G.S. (Books and Other Great Stuff), inspired by my love of language and literacy (to learn more click here). I co-taught a Project Learning Professional Development course introducing and guiding 5 teachers in the Project Learning approach (click here for more info). All the while I grew more passionate about teaching, learning and growing as an Educator. In my reviews I was described as a team player, ready and willing to learn and grow, but also able to lead when needed. I chaired a variety of successful fundraisers for our program and I was consistently working on improving myself to be better for my students. I was in my dream job.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
One day in the beginning of August, a few years into my teaching career, I was prepping for the upcoming school year when I received a call from the Preschool office. I assumed it was info about the upcoming years class list and I was so excited to start making labels and preparing for a great new year. Instead I was quite shocked to receive an offer to take over as Director of the entire Program which included 6 preschool classes, as well as the District’s Extended Day program in five different buildings. I was blown away by the offer and when I asked why they came to me, after all I had never expressed any interested in administration. I was surprised to learn that the entire administrative team had been disbanded and they recommended me as the potential new leader. I was flattered, but also in such a state of indecision. The job sounded huge and impossible. I would be working under a Board of Trustees, that answered to a school district. It would require learning
the entire Extended Day Program, and all the rules and restrictions for Preschool as well as Extended Day mandated by the state. To make the deal sweeter, I would receive no training, there were no funds in the budget and that class list I was waiting for - well those weren't done yet and we needed to get on making them- yesterday. It was yet another dream job I thought, except this time it was a nightmare. This was not a job I wanted or sought out, yet it came to me. The reality of that was flattering, frightening and challenging all at once. After much thought I decided to take on the challenge and see where it landed me. I had a fantastic rapport with the staff and I knew they would support me.
It was a crazy intense year of trial by fire learning. In the end, I was super proud of my success. Not only did I learn as I went, but I successfully managed to take a program that was handed to me in the red and bring it to the green. I increased enrollment to an all time high and provided an academically rich preschool program to over 300 students. The entire year was spent putting out fires, answering to three different supervisors on three separate pages of their own, and successfully supporting and challenging a staff of 25 plus employees. Halfway through the academic year the school's district announced plans to acquire the preschool program as part of their district's program and my role shifted again. I was now responsible for helping to successfully make this transition as smooth as possible, which of course I did.
PLANS CHANGE
One year after the day in August when I received the outrageous job offer, I was laid off. I was reeling from the crazy year and the unexpectedness of life and I decided to use this time off to be with my children. For the first time ever I would have a chance to watch my baby get on the school bus the first day of kindergarten an opportunity never afforded to a teacher.
Before I knew it one year became two, then three, and then boom 5 years had passed. Five years spent being a mom, assisting my husband in our family business, exploring my love of
technology by taking numerous classes at Apple in Atlantic City, serving as class mom every year, supporting the local PTO, leading my Girl Scout Troop (currently on our 10th year) baby-sitting, tutoring, hosting art classes and serving as a substitute teacher when I could. I am so thankful for the time I had home with my family, the experiences I have gained and the education I acquired. This year the passing of a friend and fellow teacher created a pull in me to return to the classroom full time and once again share all I have to offer to families and students.
Throughout my life and work experiences I have gained tremendous knowledge and a deep understanding of children and education. I love books, art, technology, music, writing and nature. I have a passion for living and learning. I am unbelievably hard working, dependable, creative, inventive, caring and compassionate. I am certain I will have a great impact in education.
In this portfolio, I hope you will find everything you need to understand my philosophy, my views of education, my teaching style, my experiences, and the many aspects of learning I have completed so far. Hopefully, in navigating these pages, you will realize who I am as a teacher and what an asset I can be to your school district. My goal is to highlight the strengths that would make me a passionate, efficient and useful addition to any teaching team.
CURRENT CHAPTER
In 2018 I joined the Lacey Township Preschool team and began teaching PSD -Preschool Disabled and Inclusion. Once again I fell in love with preschool as well as my new district and my amazing new team. I immediately signed up at Kean University to complete my masters in Special Education and in May 2021 I will finally graduate. My aim is to hang my hat at the Lacey School District and be apart of the foundation for a growing early childhood program in a beautiful community oriented district.
Please check out my Twitter
to follow some of the highlights of my teaching journey at Lacey.
