Whitney Bieber

Whitney Bieber - Preschool Teacher

Hi! My name is Whitney Bieber and I am a recent 2010 graduate from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. I completed my student teaching experience at Cambridge Lakes last spring and was fortunate enough to spend time teaching in both the preschool and 1st grade. During that time, I grew to be a more confident teacher while learning about the Cambridge Lakes community and building relationships with the amazing staff.

After graduation, I was extremely lucky to be given the opportunity to join the Cambridge Lakes Preschool team. With the help of my mentor and now co-teacher Beth Straka, I have learned HighScope methodology and believe it's an effective way to teach young children. HighScope helps children to gain independence, self confidence, socialization with peers and early academic skills.

I have always believed in viewing each child as an individual and tailoring curriculum to their interests and academic needs. Just as HighScope uses children's interests to guide curriculum, it has been my experience that children learn best when they are interested in the subject they are learning. I believe that all core academics can be taught by incorporating children's interests. In order to intertwine children's interests with academics, the teacher must be creative and willing to try new things. Even as a new teacher, I believe I possess both of those qualities.

Throughout my education and experience with children, I have learned the importance of building relationships with my students' families. When I think back to my own schooling career, the activities that stand out the most involved my family. Whether it was an "All About Me" project, a field trip my mother attended or sitting at the kitchen table working on homework with older brother, my family had a great impact on my education. This year, I hope to come up with new ways to involve families in the Cambridge Lakes preschool community.

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to be a part of the Cambridge Lakes Preschool as I begin my career in teaching. I'm looking forward to an exciting year with my new preschool students!