Mrs. Kelsie Kluender
A Little About Me
After graduating with my license to teach K-6 Elementary Education, I spent 2014-2021 teaching at the Teacher Lead Project-Based School, Minnesota New Country School, as their 1st and 2nd-grade teacher/Hedgehog teacher. During those seven years, I taught a group of 18 students in both 1st and 2nd grades. This mixing of grades in one classroom helped me learn how to differentiate for a large range of student needs and teach each student their individual strengths and weaknesses.
I played a key role in introducing many new curriculums for use in my school. I was a member of the school board for two years and also sat on the school’s finance team, Q-Comp team, Supporting Students Together team, and the Project-Based Learning team over the past 7 years. On the Q-Comp team, I observed teachers a few times a year which included having pre and post-observation meetings with the teacher as well as helping look through 20+ Q-Comp teacher projects each year. While on the Project-Based Learning team our school was published two years in a row and also had the opportunity to speak at Gustavus College in St Peter, MN to share the meaning of “Project-Based Learning”. Our school has also practiced “Genius Hour” over the last three years where teachers lead classes, based on student interests, and students from grades K-6 got to pick which class to be a part of for the hour.
I have had the opportunity to work with students of all ages and academic learning stages over the past 20+ years. What has stuck with me about educating students, is that all students are different and differentiation is key. What I have learned from being the only 1st/2nd-grade teacher in a school, is that having a team of educators to collaborate with is an essential tool to use to successfully meet the needs of individual students. My experiences during my student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom, in a seventh and eighth grade English setting, clinical experience in grades 2, 4, 6, and in special education have prepared me to meet a wide range of needs and ages, improve my classroom management skills as well as my ability to get to know my students.
My teaching experience as a 1st and 2nd-grade teacher, college experiences, and the other experiences working with children mentioned above makes me an excellent candidate for this position. I am confident that I can meet the desires and expectations of being a classroom teacher at Mankato Area Public Schools. I am an organized person who not only keeps my personal space in order but also has high expectations for my students to do the same. I am excited to help start this new adventure together. I look forward to hearing from you.
After graduating with my license to teach K-6 Elementary Education, I spent 2014-2021 teaching at the Teacher Lead Project-Based School, Minnesota New Country School, as their 1st and 2nd-grade teacher/Hedgehog teacher. During those seven years, I taught a group of 18 students in both 1st and 2nd grades. This mixing of grades in one classroom helped me learn how to differentiate for a large range of student needs and teach each student their individual strengths and weaknesses.
I played a key role in introducing many new curriculums for use in my school. I was a member of the school board for two years and also sat on the school’s finance team, Q-Comp team, Supporting Students Together team, and the Project-Based Learning team over the past 7 years. On the Q-Comp team, I observed teachers a few times a year which included having pre and post-observation meetings with the teacher as well as helping look through 20+ Q-Comp teacher projects each year. While on the Project-Based Learning team our school was published two years in a row and also had the opportunity to speak at Gustavus College in St Peter, MN to share the meaning of “Project-Based Learning”. Our school has also practiced “Genius Hour” over the last three years where teachers lead classes, based on student interests, and students from grades K-6 got to pick which class to be a part of for the hour.
I have had the opportunity to work with students of all ages and academic learning stages over the past 20+ years. What has stuck with me about educating students, is that all students are different and differentiation is key. What I have learned from being the only 1st/2nd-grade teacher in a school, is that having a team of educators to collaborate with is an essential tool to use to successfully meet the needs of individual students. My experiences during my student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom, in a seventh and eighth grade English setting, clinical experience in grades 2, 4, 6, and in special education have prepared me to meet a wide range of needs and ages, improve my classroom management skills as well as my ability to get to know my students.
My teaching experience as a 1st and 2nd-grade teacher, college experiences, and the other experiences working with children mentioned above makes me an excellent candidate for this position. I am confident that I can meet the desires and expectations of being a classroom teacher at Mankato Area Public Schools. I am an organized person who not only keeps my personal space in order but also has high expectations for my students to do the same. I am excited to help start this new adventure together. I look forward to hearing from you.