We are thrilled to announce our Grade-Level and Subject Area Teacher team! Made up of teachers from across the U.S., this team will be lending their voices and ideas to help make We Are Teachers more helpful, uplifting, and useful in your teaching life. Make sure to sign up for the team’s grade level newsletters for their own tips, tricks, and articles.
Kindergarten: Keri Brown
Keri is a kindergarten teacher in central Alabama and has been teaching over 15 years! She loves traveling, decorating her classroom, meeting other teachers, and creating engaging resources for her students. She is obsessed with all things technology and loves teaching her kinders how to use it. Reading picture books, crafting in the classroom, and enjoying being a classroom family are a few of her favorites. Sign up for Keri’s weekly kindergarten update ! Follow Keri @enchantedkindergarden.
First Grade: Valerie Ruckes
Valerie has been teaching for 23 years with Rochester Community Schools in Rochester, Michigan. She has taught both 3rd and 1st grade. Currently, Val teaches first graders at the district’s Virtual Campus. Val is involved as a mentor for the New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) in her district. She has also served as a member of the Instructional Leadership Team in her building. On Sunday nights, you can find Val on Twitter (@valruckes) where she co-moderates #1stchat and connects with other 1st grade teachers. Sign up for Valerie’s weekly first grade updates ! Follow Valerie on Twitter @valruckes.
Second Grade: Stephanie Sanders
Stephanie Sanders is from sunny South Florida and has Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership. As a classroom teacher just shy of two decades, she has experience with every grade level and type of learner at the elementary level. She loves seeing her favorite bands live, traveling, yoga, fitness classes, and all types of literature. Sign up for Stephanie’s weekly second grade updates ! Follow Stephanie @scentsandsubtlesights.
Third Grade: Amy McKinney
Amy has been teaching for 17 years with Springfield Township School District in Springfield, Pennsylvania and currently teaches third grade. She has taught first through fourth grades as a Learning Support teacher and general education for eight years. Amy has served as a mentor for the New Teacher Induction Program in her district, and is a member of their third grade ELA planning team and curriculum selection committee. Sign up for Amy’s weekly third grade news ! Follow Amy @theuniqueclassroom.
Fourth Grade: Sarah Feese
Sarah has been teaching for 7 years in the greater Houston area in Houston, TX. She currently teaches in a district just outside of Houston. This is her 5th year teaching fourth grade, and she serves as a new teacher mentor for her district. Sign up for Sarah’s weekly fourth grade updates!Â
Fifth Grade: Yonina Lermer
Yonina is a licensed NY State teacher with a Masters in Elementary Education and a Masters in Judaic Studies. With over 13 years of experience in education, Yonina has taught almost every grade level and subject in elementary and middle school. In addition, Yonina has served as the Elementary School Literacy Curriculum Coordinator at her current job. In this role, she has coached many teachers in teaching children how to read and write and implement curriculum in an engaging manner. After completing a two-year mentoring program, Yonina is also a teacher-mentor working with new teachers as they enter the field of education. She has spent over a decade working in summer camps and youth programs in various roles. Yonina has a passion for connecting with others and helping them fail forward. (She also really loves pizza.) Sign up for Yonina’s weekly fifth grade news ! Follow Yonina @kidkoach.
Upper Grade English/Language Arts: Sean Hogen
Sean is a middle school ELA teacher in central Pennsylvania, and in his classroom, they emphasize telling their stories through personal narratives and spoken word poetry. In and out of the classroom, Sean works to empower both students and teachers to change our world for the better. In his past lives, he helped make baseball cards, newspaper ads, and textbooks, and in his spare time, he enjoys hiking, listening to music, and writing. Sign up for Sean’s weekly upper grade English/Language Arts updates ! Follow Sean @MrHoganLMS.
Upper Grade Math: Erika Brunnmeier
Erika is in her 8th year of teaching and currently teaches 7th grade math and science in California. WeAreTeachers has brought Erika laughter, camaraderie, and many tips and tricks. She is so excited to be part of this amazing community and looks forward to bringing you Distance Learning ideas to keep your students engaged, Tech Tips for math, and some humor to brighten your day. Sign up for Erika’s weekly upper grade math updates ! Follow Erika @erikabrunny.
