At the Newcastle vs Blanchard football game, Newcastle’s Principal Jennifer Rosenbloom was presented a check for Science and Math education at Newcastle’s Early Childhood Center by the people of Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas.
One of the teachers who will benefit from this donation is Shannon Chlouber who teaches STEM to Pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade students at Newcastle Early Childhood Center.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Your hobbies, your passions.
My favorite titles are being a wife, a mom, and a Gigi to three of the sweetest grandbabies. I enjoy spending time with my family, working in my flowerbeds/yard, exercising, and reading during my free time. I am passionate about always doing what Is best for my students. This is my 25th year of teaching, and no matter what grade/subject I am teaching, I am continuously learning about best practices that will help my students succeed.
What classes do you teach?
I am currently in my 4th year of teaching STEM to Pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade students.
Where did you go to college and what led you into teaching?
I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1999 and owe all of it to Dr. Albert K. Harvey, my first employer. Growing up, I always loved and respected my teachers; they were the only women I knew that went to college. Naturally, that is what influenced me to major in elementary education. I didn’t attend college my first semester out of high school but was told by Dr. Harvey that I was to have a full-time student schedule on his desk by a particular day. He was a person in my life that believed and invested in me, so I listened when he spoke. I walked into OCCC as an 18-year-old girl with no idea how to enroll or what I was doing, but I managed to walk out with a full-time student schedule. I presented him with my college schedule prior to the spring semester of ‘95 and I received my bachelor’s degree in the spring of ‘99 as the first person in my family to graduate college.
Who mentored you into the educator you are today?
Wow, there are so many people that have mentored and molded me into the educator I am today; that’s the benefit of being part of grade level teams in education. There is a wealth of knowledge that can be gained by collaborating with your teammates. One of my closest mentors is Michelle Ott. We taught together, shared ideas with one another, laughed together, and cried together for 18 years. We no longer work in the same district, but we continue to be a sounding board for one another.
What do you love about teaching?
I love to see students have “aha” moments. Just recently, I had students using marble runs in my classroom. The goal was to construct a magnetic marble run on the dry erase board where the marble landed in the intended target. After building their marble run and having to redesign it several times, one of my first graders came up to me and explained how she had used the engineer design process to solve the problem of getting the marble in the basket.
What is great about your current school?
Our school is great because it is made up of a community of people that wants all of our students to succeed.
Why is teaching Science and Math so important?
Teaching Science and Math is important for developing problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and creativity in our students. These are life-long skills that will be useful to them in their education and future careers.
