Welcome

My name is Erin Tollefson.  I am so excited to be teaching your child this year.  I moved to Oro Valley from a small town in Illinois named Sandwich.  Yes, it’s actually called Sandwich.  I love to do anything outdoors as well as anything crafty.  I also love to spend time with my family.  I am eager to get to know all of my students and watch them as they grow throughout the year.

Defining Moment in Education 

I have known that I wanted to be a teacher since I was very young.  I started out working with children by volunteering in a preschool class at my church from the time I was 12 until I graduated high school.  In high school, my passion for teaching grew even more by being part of an Early Childhood Education class where I got the opportunity to teach in a preschool classroom.  After being in that class, I knew that I had to pursue my dream.  I went on to study Early Childhood Education in college and achieved my goal of becoming a teacher.  Along the way, I had so many mentor teachers who helped shape me into the teacher I am today.

Core Educational Belief

I believe that a classroom should be a safe and caring place where students not only come to learn, but are excited to learn.  I believe that this type of environment includes hands-on experiences where children are free to express themselves, think outside the box, test their theories, and learn from each other.  I believe that positive relationships built in the classroom are crucial to a child’s learning and that growing as individuals is just as important as academic development.

Prior Experience

I volunteered in preschool classes for many years.  In college, I student taught in Kindergarten and First Grade.  In my first professional year, I was a Teacher Aide in a preschool classroom. I have been a Kindergarten teacher here at Copper Creek for 2 years.