Kindergarten Teacher

Hello and welcome to the Painted Sky community.  I am Carole Celaya and have been teaching in primary grades in Elementary School since 1988.  I enjoy teaching all subjects in Kindergarten to our school's youngest learners.

Phone: 520-696-3803

Email: ccelaya@amphi.com

Education, Degrees and Certifications

BS Child Development, University of Arizona

BA Elementary Education, University of Arizona

NBCT, National Board Certified Teacher-Early Childhood Generalist

Professional Accomplishments

National Board Certification

40+ hours/class and coursework in Gifted Education

90+ hours/class and coursework in teaching Math, Reading and Writing in Kindergarten

"I Teach K" National Workshop, 2013, 2014, and 2015, Las Vegas, NV

The Kindergarten Experience- training by the Alesi Group: Focus on the whole child-social and emotional components of 5 and 6 year olds

STEMazing participant-Creating Play-Based Experiences That Support Children's Learning of Coding and Higher Order Thinking

STEMazing Wiggle, Weed and Grow-Using School Gardents to Cultivate STEM Minds

Defining Moment in My Education

As a young student in elementary school, I had dedicated and compassionate teachers who made time know me, as a child and student, in order to better teach me in the best way that I could learn. 

Over the years, I appreciated the time those teachers gave to help me learn.  Later in my education, and as a graduate student at the University of Arizona while studying Journalism, I worked with Kindergarten and 1st graders at a local magnet school.  This was where I discovered a passion for helping, teaching and getting to know young children as children first, to know how to teach them.  It was then that I decided to pursue a degree in Elementary Education.

Core Educational Beliefs

I hear and I forget

I see and I remember

I do and I understand

-Confucius

As an educator, I truly believe in getting to know young learners, then teaching them.  All children learn from using language in play, asking questions, seeing and more importantly doing. 

In Kindergarten, activities are taught with joy, practiced together, and learned with each other.

Prior Experiences

As I begin my 30th year in elementary education,  all of which are in the Amphitheater School District, I bring a multitude of experiences, practices and strategies for children to be successful.  During my years of teaching, I have taught 1st grade, 2nd grade and currently Kindergarten. It whas been through teaching 1st and 2nd grades and Kindergarten for 17 years, that I have developed best practices that help me foster, implement and develop a child's love of learning in Kindergarten.  

It is, afterall, a "kind"ergarten for children.