About Me

Hi! My name is Kara Dolan. I received my undergraduate degree from Eastern Connecticut State University in the area of Child Psychology and Early Childhood Education. My degree there also included a Connecticut teaching license in the area of Early Childhood Education including Special Education from birth through Kindergarten. During my 4 years of teaching I taught Special Education Preschool in Bethel, CT, taught 2nd grade, while pursuing my Master's Degree (MS in Early Childhood Education), at St. Luke's in Beavercreek, OH, and taught Special Education Preschool for two years in Waterbury, CT.

My most recent position with Circle of Friends in Bethel, CT was a one medical leave substitute position and although they have graciously offered me a position in the fall, current family situations reguire that I be closer to home on the eastern part of the state, this is why I am currently in the process of applying to other positions.

I spend my free time scrapbooking, spending time with my family, watching movies, reading books and finding adventures with friends. I look forward to going to work each day where I can teach, learn, and share my time with a group of lively and enthusiastic students and colleagues.

My goal is for each child to be excited about school and learning, to be an integral member of a caring community, to feel competent and independent, to be a good communicator, to feel in control of their own learning choices and to be respectful and kind towards others and our earth.

My mission is to reach and teach every student according to their different learning modalities. Such modalities include auditory, visual and kinesthetic. It is my quest and challenge to enlighten each student using a variety of teaching styles to make sure each child is offered every opportunity to learn and excel. I truly believe that a love for learning is caught and not always taught. Each day I attempt to share my joy for learning and living so my students can catch the enthusiasm I have and continue to share that enthusiasm with the world.

Student Work Samples

Special Education Preschool - Circle of Friends - Bethel, Connecticut

*Pictures will be added soon

2nd Grade - St. Luke's School - Beavercreek, Ohio

Plant Investigation
The Important Book
Abby's New Brother
Sarah as Sacajawea

Special Education Preschool - Buck's Hill Learning Center - Waterbury, Connecticut

Apple Graphing
Learning At Preschool
Elijah "Being the Teacher"

Philosophy of Education

I believe that:

• Children construct knowledge through direct experience
• Children use their physical and social worlds as well as playful interactions with objects, materials and people to acquire knowledge
• The context of a warm and supportive environment with responsive adult relationships is where children learn and develop best
• Learning and development are interrelated from the child’s very first day of life
• Asking children to think by offering open-ended activities and questions supports children’s cognitive development
• Young children become learners and make sense of their physical and social world through play
• Children will rise to whatever level you hold them accountable for
  
• During play, children are actively creating themes, exploring environments, solving problems, and developing shared understandings
• In preschool, a predictable daily routine includes both teacher-directed activities (circle time and small groups) and child-initiated experiences and is important for student growth and learning
• Portfolio assessment gives a rich and detailed picture of each child as an individual.
• Careful documentation of each child’s progress though a collection of work samples, anecdotal records and photographs is a true authentic assessment of a child’s progress.
• Families are valued and appreciated. A child’s home life plays a vital role in their success at school. Consideration is given to large and small family events that play a part in child’s world.

In my classroom :

• I take on the role of supporter or facilitator of children's play and learning
  
• I prepare the environment with fun, age-appropriate materials and activities
• I observe the children for chances to extend and enhance growth and learning through play
• I understand that a child’s individual growth patterns, interests, and experiences play a large role in their learning experiences.
• I provide children with a wide variety of interesting, inclusive, and challenging play experiences.
• I provide repeated experiences, so children are able to shed light on and begin to “own” various skills and concepts
• I understand that what works for one child may not work for another
• I place significant value on each child and what they can achieve
• I make sure each child knows that they are a valuable asset to our learning community no matter their abilities or disabilities
  
• I am open to many different approaches. I am a keen observer of children so I get to know how they learn best.
• There are common threads that will be present in any and all of my classrooms. These include safety and security, consistent boundaries and clear expectations, compassion and warmth, and a sense of belonging.
• I strive to teach my students that we all have gifts as well as challenges; we can learn from each other, and encourage each other.
• I allow my students to see areas that I am still learning in so that they can see learning as a life long process
• I use cooperative learning, independent learning, visual, auditory, kinesthetic activities, demonstrations, peer tutoring, multimedia instruction, project- based learning, questioning, organizers, games, brainstorming sessions and thematic approaches in my classroom regularly
  
• I use the resources of the school community and the greater community to aid in the learning process of my students and myself