Hello Families,

Welcome to my web page.  I have been working in education for over 20 years.  I taught special education as well as first and second grades for 12 years in and around San Francisco.  At this time I made several life changes: I moved to Oakland, bought my first house, and had a baby.  I decided to work part time at the Department of Graduate Education at Mills College.

I worked in several capacities:  supervising student teachers, leading graduate seminars, substituting at all grade levels, and finally teaching preschool.

My daughter started kindergarten at Crocker in 2007 and I returned to work full time for Oakland Unified.  Before coming to Crocker as a first grade teacher, I was a reading intervention teacher and new teacher developer at Piedmont Avenue Elementary.

I enjoy both the grounding, practical aspects of being a classroom teacher as well as the enriching, inspiring aspects of continuing my professional development by mentoring teachers new to the profession.  Besides the three Rs, my passions in the classroom are native plant and vegetable gardening, health and yoga, playing a variety of musical instruments, and weekly bread baking.  I strive to make the classroom a child-centered place where content and curriculum emerge from both the students’ and my interests.  I have a firm grasp on the grade level standards and skills that are necessary for high academic achievement but always balance these academic grade level goals with healthy social and emotional growth.

Ultimately, I work to develop happy, curious, confident little ones who love school and are able to embrace new challenges, recognize their strengths, and demonstrate resiliency in the face of change or disappointment.  I assume you are the experts about your child and look to strong, positive relationships with parents as the foundation of the magical growth that takes place in this grade.  Parents are welcome in the classroom as helpers or visitors anytime, with or without notice.  We are a fully open classroom and love to share our discoveries.

I hope you find that this web page makes you feel connected to your child’s education.  We have a ton of fun in Room 8 and I hope that comes through!

Kristin Anderson