By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Allen Samuels CDJR Teacher of the Month Kingman 5th and 6th grade ELA teacher Jennifer Graber has taught for a while, but this is her first year at this level in Kingman.
"For the last 17 years, I've been doing 2nd and 3rd grade," Graber said. "Not only for the students, but for me, this has been a big jump, for just taking on, number one, one subject area only and focusing on a whole different age of kids, but my son is actually a 6th grader, so it's kind of fun."
Kingman uses the Summit Learning platform, which means that every student is at a different point as they master individual skills.
"For me, I just have a lot of spreadsheets going on, trying to find out where the gaps are and constantly assessing, working with them one on one," Graber said. "For me, I have to sometimes slow down and reteach a small group of students a certain skill, while other kids don't need that. They can keep kind of going on their own."
Graber actually ended up teaching math, like long division and ratios to her seminar students this week to help them get caught up, even though ELA is her subject area.
"Our team actually meets, we have four 5th and 6th grade teachers and we meet every day for a short time, just to make sure that we're meeting the needs of all kids," Graber said. "We're keeping them on track, where they need to be."
Graber is excited because she gets to know the kids as people and follow them through their academic journey.
"This is my hometown, it's great to have that community feeling," Graber said. "I get to go to my students basketball games or volleyball games and just seeing them in the community. They come and, they're more like family than your students. They come up and they want you to know what they did over the weekend, or if you watched the kid who just won state wrestling, just having that connection. If they don't know that you care, they don't care how much you know."
Graber was also the head coach for the Kingman freshman and sophomore volleyball team.