Name: Mandy Harris
School: Gunnison Elementary School
District: Gunnison Watershed RE1J
What grade do you teach: 2nd Grade
How long have you been teaching CKLA: I'm just finishing up my second year of CKLA. The first year there was a bit of a learning curve. This year it feels much more natural!
What is your favorite part of CKLA and why?
I really do love the Listening and Learning piece of CKLA because of the time it carves out to allow for rich vocabulary and content accessible to all learners. The ease in which you can add fun and hands-on cross curricular activities to the extensions makes for great classroom discussions and engagement!
Do you have a favorite CKLA domain or unit to teach and why?
I can't pick just one! I love Domain 5, Cycles in Nature, because of all the activities we do to help reinforce the learning. Domain 10, The Human Body is a favorite of mine because of how far you can extend the learning and the science we incorporate into it. Finally, Domain 12, Fighting for a Cause, is probably the close winner. Now more than ever, I think it is so important to emphasize the importance for standing up for equality and human rights. It is so inspiring to see how children can connect our past with our present, and how passionate and empowered they become when we do this unit.
Mandy Harris is one of our educator ambassadors. You can follow her on Twitter at @aharrisn2. Do you have a question for a CKLA teacher? Are you interested in being an ambassador? We’d love to hear from you! Please send us an email at CKLA@amplify.com!
