Rachel Ray, new 3rd grade teacher at Donelson Elementary, uses her past experience in education to engage with new students in learning and growing together as a class.
This is Mrs. Ray’s 3rd year in elementary education. She grew up in Bartlett, Tennessee and graduated from University of Memphis. Mrs. Ray went on to get her master’s degree from Union University. After school, she went on to teach a variety of grades from kindergarten to fourth grade. She is now teaching in 3rd grade, using her experience from her 11 years in education to create a positive learning environment.
“We are a family in this classroom. I want my students to be respectful and treat each other with the love, caring, and kindness that you would show your own family.”
Mrs. Ray believes that class unity is a key component for a good learning environment. She feels that all of the other rules that are told in school fall into three categories: be responsible, be prepared, and be respectful. These rules ensure that her kids responsible and respectful, while also learning their material.
“It really comes down to making sure that you truly understand your students first. And then from there, you can help support them.”
Mrs. Ray feels that it is vital that she understands her students. Getting to know them and how they learn, is very important for teachers to understand, so they can truly support them and teach her students in a way that they understand.
“You are not defined by what’s happened to you. You are not defined by how good you are at reading. I want them to be the best they can be, and comparison is the their of joy. And I hope that is the lesson that they learn at the end of the day.”
Mrs. Ray hopes that her students are learning every day, but most importantly she hopes that her students understand that they are not defined by their learning ability. The lesson that she wants to teach her kids is that they are not defined by their past. She wants her kids to try their hardest to find what they are best at.
