Welcome To my site !
About Ms. Sturr:
I first moved to Whittier as a 2nd grader in 1966. As you can see from my pictures I was the 3rd oldest of 7 kids. As an older sister I would spend a lot of time listening to my youngest brother share his thoughts and feelings as he went through the middle school years. It was through these "talks" that I first developed a love for this age group.
As for my school background I went to Whittier Christian through 8th grade and to Whittier High School. Later, I earned a BA (in Liberal Arts) from CSUF, a teaching credential from APU, and a MA (in Middle School Education) from CSUSB.
School was not easy for me. I struggled with learning as a kid and later, when I was 24, I was tested and found out I had a learning disability. Having a disability has helped me as a teacher in so many ways. It has given me a strong understanding of how all kids process information differently.
As a teacher, I am passionate about making my classroom a place where each student can learn. I teach my students "tricks" I learned growing up. When I project something on the board for them to copy, I always keep the copy for any student that has a hard time following a multi-step process (e.g.,looking at the board, remembering what was written, looking down at their paper, and then writing the information onto their paper). This also helps the student who has trouble processing information through hearing it and needs to read it as well.
As a teacher I do understand some of the frustrations kids have in school. Lets face it, no matter what, we all have trouble grasping concepts sometimes. I think this is especially true in math. Because of this, I work hard to have a "classroom tone" where any student feels safe enough to ask for help or admit that they "don't understand it" without fear of being laughed at or put down. But nevertheless, I tell my students they must show me evidence that they tried. I have a whole lot of understanding and compassion for those students that try, even if that means just writing each math problem down and making an attempt to do it. I expect my students to try their best and it is my job as a teacher to help them move on from there.
This is my 24th year at Hillview and even though there have been some hard times here and there, I can honestly say I still really love teaching this age group. Throughout my 24 years, I have taught all three grade levels of math and science, and a number of different electives.
This year, I will be teaching 6th grade math and science, as well as an elective I designed last year called N.C.I.S. I enjoy N.C.I.S. (Naturally Curious Investigating Scientists) because it is an elective where we just get to have fun with science and learn some cool stuff! I am looking forward to a fantastic year with lots of new experiences and a whole lot of exploring and learning in both math and science!
As for my school background I went to Whittier Christian through 8th grade and to Whittier High School. Later, I earned a BA (in Liberal Arts) from CSUF, a teaching credential from APU, and a MA (in Middle School Education) from CSUSB.
School was not easy for me. I struggled with learning as a kid and later, when I was 24, I was tested and found out I had a learning disability. Having a disability has helped me as a teacher in so many ways. It has given me a strong understanding of how all kids process information differently.
As a teacher, I am passionate about making my classroom a place where each student can learn. I teach my students "tricks" I learned growing up. When I project something on the board for them to copy, I always keep the copy for any student that has a hard time following a multi-step process (e.g.,looking at the board, remembering what was written, looking down at their paper, and then writing the information onto their paper). This also helps the student who has trouble processing information through hearing it and needs to read it as well.
As a teacher I do understand some of the frustrations kids have in school. Lets face it, no matter what, we all have trouble grasping concepts sometimes. I think this is especially true in math. Because of this, I work hard to have a "classroom tone" where any student feels safe enough to ask for help or admit that they "don't understand it" without fear of being laughed at or put down. But nevertheless, I tell my students they must show me evidence that they tried. I have a whole lot of understanding and compassion for those students that try, even if that means just writing each math problem down and making an attempt to do it. I expect my students to try their best and it is my job as a teacher to help them move on from there.
This is my 24th year at Hillview and even though there have been some hard times here and there, I can honestly say I still really love teaching this age group. Throughout my 24 years, I have taught all three grade levels of math and science, and a number of different electives.
This year, I will be teaching 6th grade math and science, as well as an elective I designed last year called N.C.I.S. I enjoy N.C.I.S. (Naturally Curious Investigating Scientists) because it is an elective where we just get to have fun with science and learn some cool stuff! I am looking forward to a fantastic year with lots of new experiences and a whole lot of exploring and learning in both math and science!