All About Me
Welcome to 5th Grade!
I am so excited to be working with your child and you! This will be my sixth year in 5th grade and I am surprised by how much I truly enjoy it. After years as a 1st and 3rd grade teacher, I never thought I would teach anything else. (Never say “never”, right?) Fifth graders are the role models and mentor students at Tibbets, yet many are more than a little nervous about heading to middle school next fall. This will truly be a year of great growth, responsibility, and fun for your child!
Let me tell you a little about myself. I grew up in Delavan and my father still lives there with one of my brothers. Barton, my youngest brother, is cognitively disabled. He attended Lakeland School and now works for Vocational Industries. He is my best buddy in the world! In the past as we’ve completed our Olweus unit on disabilities, Barton has spent a day at Tibbets. It’s always a wonderful opportunity for the students when he comes to visit in May.
My other brother, Dex, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and dyslexia yet he is a lawyer with an MBA who is now a professor with his PhD, (although I refuse to call my kid brother, “Doctor”!) Despite the great learning disadvantages both my brothers faced, they have achieved many things! My exposure to Barton and Dex helped form my opinion that every child can learn when given the proper support and instruction.
I have a Bachelor's degree in English from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota. I completed my Masters degree from National-Louis University with an emphasis on mathematics. I am also fascinated by all the research currently being done on the brain and how it learns. I continually strive to incorporate that knowledge into my classroom.
My husband and I have two children, both adopted from Guatemala. Sebastian will be sixteen next month and Maggie is thirteen . They keep us young and tire us out all at the same time!
My overall classroom management style is one that is fun but firm. I expect appropriate behavior at all times and I encourage the students to try new things and work together cooperatively.
We have two motivational philosophies that will drive our successful growth this year.
#1 I am relevant.
#2 Live with intention
The first is meant to help students clarify their importance in the world; that their thoughts and life choices matter! The second is to bring a level of responsibility and focused effort to all we do, whether that is completing an assignment or navigating the social world of the “pre-Middle Schooler”.
I recognize that my greatest insight into my students comes from you, the parents, and I take great steps to maintain open communication with you. If you have concerns, questions, or comments, please feel free to contact me. You can reach me at school during the week. I am also frequently at school for at least a few hours over the weekend so, if we need to have a longer conversation, that is another opportunity.
I look forward to working with you but my true “boss” is your child. My decisions will be based on what I feel is best for him or her but your feedback will always be welcome! Thank you for the honor of teaching your child!
Darcy Gruber
742-2585 x1112
I am so excited to be working with your child and you! This will be my sixth year in 5th grade and I am surprised by how much I truly enjoy it. After years as a 1st and 3rd grade teacher, I never thought I would teach anything else. (Never say “never”, right?) Fifth graders are the role models and mentor students at Tibbets, yet many are more than a little nervous about heading to middle school next fall. This will truly be a year of great growth, responsibility, and fun for your child!
Let me tell you a little about myself. I grew up in Delavan and my father still lives there with one of my brothers. Barton, my youngest brother, is cognitively disabled. He attended Lakeland School and now works for Vocational Industries. He is my best buddy in the world! In the past as we’ve completed our Olweus unit on disabilities, Barton has spent a day at Tibbets. It’s always a wonderful opportunity for the students when he comes to visit in May.
My other brother, Dex, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and dyslexia yet he is a lawyer with an MBA who is now a professor with his PhD, (although I refuse to call my kid brother, “Doctor”!) Despite the great learning disadvantages both my brothers faced, they have achieved many things! My exposure to Barton and Dex helped form my opinion that every child can learn when given the proper support and instruction.
I have a Bachelor's degree in English from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota. I completed my Masters degree from National-Louis University with an emphasis on mathematics. I am also fascinated by all the research currently being done on the brain and how it learns. I continually strive to incorporate that knowledge into my classroom.
My husband and I have two children, both adopted from Guatemala. Sebastian will be sixteen next month and Maggie is thirteen . They keep us young and tire us out all at the same time!
My overall classroom management style is one that is fun but firm. I expect appropriate behavior at all times and I encourage the students to try new things and work together cooperatively.
We have two motivational philosophies that will drive our successful growth this year.
#1 I am relevant.
#2 Live with intention
The first is meant to help students clarify their importance in the world; that their thoughts and life choices matter! The second is to bring a level of responsibility and focused effort to all we do, whether that is completing an assignment or navigating the social world of the “pre-Middle Schooler”.
I recognize that my greatest insight into my students comes from you, the parents, and I take great steps to maintain open communication with you. If you have concerns, questions, or comments, please feel free to contact me. You can reach me at school during the week. I am also frequently at school for at least a few hours over the weekend so, if we need to have a longer conversation, that is another opportunity.
I look forward to working with you but my true “boss” is your child. My decisions will be based on what I feel is best for him or her but your feedback will always be welcome! Thank you for the honor of teaching your child!
Darcy Gruber
742-2585 x1112