Hi there, my Co-Teacher! I’m Cristy, Your Thrifty Co-Teacher. I’m so thrilled you are here.
Passion for Teaching 4th & 5th Grade ELA:
My main passion is teaching English Language Arts, specifically grammar to 4th & 5th grade students. Throughout my teaching career, I have found ways to make grammar fun and effective. It’s been such a gift to see my students love grammar lessons and get excited about them.
Education, Credentials, & Teaching Journey:
My teaching journey began a few decades back when I graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education and a Minor in Psychology. I then became certified to teach grades first through sixth.
With over two decades of experience in the classroom, I’ve had the joy of being an upper elementary ELA teacher for the majority of my teaching career which started in 1996 as a General Education teacher. Later, I began teaching an inclusion 5th grade classroom in a departmentalize setting. That class contained English Language Learner students, so I took 60 extra credits and became certified in teaching ELL.
Twists kept coming. A few years later when my school needed an extra teacher for its Gifted students, they looked my way. Another 60 credit hours later, I was certified to teach in the Gifted Education program at my school.
Throughout my career, whether in general education, inclusion, or as part of the gifted program, I’ve been passionate about making learning a fun and engaging experience for my students. This led me to being recognized by my colleagues and nominated as Teacher of the Year. My enthusiasm for making learning engaging has also led me to create resources that reflect this philosophy.
Passion for Assisting 4th & 5th Grade ELA Teachers:
This leads me to my second passion which is creating engaging and effective resources. My mission here at Your Thrifty Co-Teacher is to support you by sharing with you my ideas and resources. These resources are created to give you your time back. Most of the resources I create are no prep or low prep. That’s because not only do I know how time consuming planning can be, but also how precious time is in the classroom.
I’ve always love collaborating with teachers, not just in my school buildings, but online as well. Your Thrifty Co-Teacher was started as a way to be able to collaborate and share ideas with teachers just like you all around the world. Whether it’s teaching resources or teacher deals, you can find them here.
Join me on this educational adventure, where we can explore creative and effective ways to make teaching and learning an enjoyable journey. Here’s to sparking curiosity and fostering a love for education!
I am so glad you are here.
P.S. Before heading away, make sure to sign up for our weekly emails and grab your FREE Grammar Posters. It’s my gift to you and a way for us to keep in touch in the future.