I’m Elizabeth Levett Fortier and I’m very happy to be in my sixth year at George Peabody. Before coming to Peabody, I taught first grade and kindergarten between 2000 and 2006 at John Swett, an Arts Alternative School in the inner city. Before that I taught first grade for nine years in the Mission District. Over the years I’ve learned a great deal about meeting the needs of diverse students and I’ve enjoyed some wonderful opportunities to take on leadership and mentoring roles. I’ve had the honor to serve for eight years on the Peer Assistance and Review panel, have been a Master Teacher for SFSU and a Beginning Teacher Support provider. Currently, I’m enjoying serving as the Lead Teacher for our after-school program and as a member of the Science Committee and Leadership Team. I believe that teaching is a sacred trust and I hope to always continue learning ways to teach more fully.

Kindergarten is a very special year. Young children are natural learners. In my class, students have an integrated program. I love to blend Science with Literature, or Math with Art, for example. My students are a community of learners, celebrating each other’s successes and supporting each other’s learning. I believe in offering a program that is rich in Literacy–where reading and writing take place all day in one context or another. I also make sure that students have an opportunity to develop their own projects and I try to offer an array of materials for their discovery and use. Room 1 is a warm and colorful place, where learning is fun!