Jackie Kirkham
Grade 5 Teacher
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My name is Jackie Kirkham and I have been married to my husband Greg for 27 years and have 3 children: Kirk (who lives in Flagstaff and has given us 3 grandchildren with his wife Dawn), Jessica (who graduated U of A this May, married in June, and has applied to medical school), and Cody (who finished his first year of college and is studying to becoming a firefighter). I am fortunate to be married to someone who shares the same passions with me: our faith and the education of children.I really enjoy teaching the middle school grades. Middle school students are at a pivotal time in their lives. It is important to draw connections to faith, learning, and compassion toward one another. It is a challenge that I love and I feel blessed to have this opportunity.
I believe all students can learn and be successful. Faith is essential part of this. It shapes our lives, values, and priorities. Having a successful faith formation and education begins in the home. The school is an extension of this and it is imperative that parents and teachers work together to accomplish this goal. The most successful students have a mutual respect of families and the educational setting. It allows them to understand that their parents and teachers are working together for their best interest.
Currently, I teach 5th through 8th grade math which includes standards such as number operations, measurement, algebra, geometry, ratios & proportions and statistics. A successful math program uses a rigorous program which combines different strategies. I reinforce basic skills, provide drills for essential concepts and allow students to remediate when necessary and accelerate when grade level competencies have been met. Students in my class are taught a strong work ethic of showing all work to build a solid foundation for higher level math. I incorporate total physical response and visual cues for long term memory and use an online program that has a direct alignment with our textbook. I believe a hybrid program must include strong student/parent/teacher communication component. When classes were online, I made weekly efforts to communicate with students and parents. Devices were offered to families who needed them and creative forms of teacher-student interaction were used. Every student had my personal cell phone number. Tutoring was offered to any student who asked, and these sessions were done through Facetime or over the phone with pic messages. Google Classroom and components such as Google Meeting were done by some teachers.
Students should continue academic learning during the summer months. While summer affords additional and different learning opportunities, it is important to maintain, remediate, and enrich skills. With students spending extended periods of time at home, it is even more critical that math and reading be reinforced so your child is prepared for the demands of the next grade level. IXL accounts are available for all students entering 6th through 9th grade. I will be setting up accounts for all incoming 5th graders, so they can also work on math skills this summer. Again, 30 minutes of reading and math skills this summer (including multiplication tables through 12’s) will maintain skills and help your child test well in August.
Last year, I introduced Survivor Math to all students in grades 4th through 8th. It included 2 days of math competition and challenges that exercised the mind, as well as, the body. Because of student interest, I plan on making this a yearly tradition at ICCS. Another popular activity was after school tutoring and homework sessions for 3rd through 8th graders. This helped students who were struggling in several academic areas, and allowed other students a quiet place to get a snack and finish homework before going home or attending a sports program.