Hi, my name is Michele Vinson and I am the Kindergarten teacher at West Education Campus. I was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan and have lived in the Washington, DC area since 1996. I miss my hometown, however, I do NOT miss Michigan Winters-brrr!

Education: In 1991 I received a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University. As an Occupational Therapist I worked in several states and in a variety of health care facilities caring for patients in brain injury, acute care, long term, outpatient, and home health care settings. In 1999 I started working in the District of Columbia Public Schools System as an Occupational Therapist. It is from this experience that I knew I wanted to become a teacher.  Thus, in 2001, I applied and was accepted in the George Washington University school of Education and received a Masters degree in Education and Human Development in 2004.

Favorite Book: Wow, too many books and not enough web space! So I'll try it from this angle: Childhood- The Berenstain Bear and Babar the Elephant collection.  I have fond memories of reading these books while eating mom made peanut butter crackers and drinking milk. Teen years- Susan Cooper's good vs evil Merlin fantasy saga.  20's- All the John Grisham books.  30's- Back to the classics i.e. The War of the Worlds, Les Miserables, To Kill A Mockingbird.  40's- still working on it!

Hopes and Dreams for the 2011-2012 School Year: The saying goes: Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten. Pretty intimidating but my hopes are to not only prepare my students academically for first grade but equally as important my aspiration is to guide them toward the path of becoming consciously aware social, moral,and ethical citizens.

Educationally Yours,

Ms. Vinson