Teacher Spotlight: Grace McCabe (Bay Area Corps ’18)
December 13, 2018
What inspired you to join the corps?
During college, I worked alongside young people as an outdoor trip leader and loved seeing them become empowered through overcoming challenges. I became inspired to join the corps after meeting with a Teach For America college campus recruiter who pushed me to take this same love, as well as my belief in goal-setting, teamwork, and leadership into the classroom to work towards educational equity alongside my students and other community members.
What do you love about teaching in the Bay Area?
I love how welcoming everyone in the Bay Area has been and how quickly I’ve been able to feel at home in this community. My students and their families, my fellow corps members, and other educators have shared with me so many reasons why the Bay Area is special to them. It’s exciting to embark on the discovery of what makes the Bay Area special to me.
“My students are learning about the world around them and figuring out who their heroes are. This year, I’m exposing them to a diverse cast of real-life superheroes to be inspired by.”
What projects are you looking forward to doing with your students this year?
Storytime is one of my favorite parts of the day. I’m excited to read some of my favorite books from childhood, like Sheila Rae the Brave, as well as books about important figures in history and social movements with my students. We recently read a book about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and now we’re reading a book about Dolores Huerta and César Chavez. My students are learning about the world around them and figuring out who their heroes are. This year, I’m exposing them to a diverse cast of real-life superheroes to be inspired by.
Share a time when a student made you laugh in your classroom this year.
My kindergarteners make me laugh all the time, which is one of my favorite parts about teaching this age! This year, our school had an evening Fall Festival, where students and their families came to school after normal hours to play games, eat, and listen to music. Four of my students saw each other at the Fall Festival and got so excited—they kept hugging and jumping up and down. Their excitement cracked me up because these students spend so much time together and had actually just seen each other in class an hour prior.