Joanne Copeland

“One of my favorite subjects to teach is math. I love encouraging 4^th-graders to look at the world through the lens of a mathematician. As they search for patterns or palindromes, play math fact games, and apply strategies to solving problems, I want my students to see value of math in the world around them.”

Joanne Copeland loves the energy and enthusiasm of fourth grade. Inspired by each class’ personality, she is challenged to match a theme for their yearly projects. From “Adventures in Learning” to “Building a Responsible Learning Community,” she encourages students to use their curiosity and creativity in their projects. Her first passion is teaching math. She wants students to look at the world through the lens of a mathematician. Palindromes, Pi Day, and making a “Geome-tree” are a few ways Joanne demonstrates the fun side of math. 

 

To model lifelong learning, Joanne was sponsored to become a fellow in the National Writing Project. As a result of this program, she has incorporated the Writer’s Workshop model into the fourth-grade ELA curriculum. Her students develop their voices as authors by creating and sharing their “writing masterpieces.” This second passion has led her to be the chair of Valley School’s Humanities Department, through which she leads discussions related to ELA, reading, and social studies with her colleagues. 

 

Joanne’s extra-curricular activities include organizing Valley School’s ski program. She enjoys sharing her love of this winter sport with students and their families.