Teacher Tuesday 29: Kindergarten Math Teacher at Beta Academy - Cara Connor!

Meet Cara Connor: The incredibly calm, thoughtful presence on the Kindergarten team at Beta Academy.  Cara's room not only smells of lavender but is a place where kids are engaged, happy, and challenged. 

Words about Cara from members of her team: 
"I feel truly blessed to work with Cara. She is an ideal colleague: reliable, supportive, and funny. As a teacher, she works unbelievably hard to give her students the best experience possible. I know that I am privileged to share students with Cara because they learn so much from her, both academically and emotionally. In addition, Cara is someone who really practices what she preaches in terms of teaching philosophy. She believes deeply in the importance of student engagement and joyful learning, and she puts in an insane amount of effort to make those principles come alive in her classroom through exciting centers and hands-on activities. I am so happy and excited that Cara and I will be teaching together again next year. " 

"Children leave Cara's classroom with a lifelong love for exploring, learning, and asking questions. It is a privilege to teach with Cara - I am constantly learning from her." 

All about Cara:
I am originally from a coastal town of San Diego. From a  young age, my family instilled a love of nature and art in me, specifically the ocean, music and literature. Through reading and music, I developed a deep love of learning about life and cultures. At UCSD, I double majored in International Studies and Spanish Literature, and through this experience I learned a lot about education systems around the world, and was inspired to become a teacher. I love being a kindergarten teacher, because I am able to express my whimsical and child-like side with my students while also striving to instill a love of learning and curiosity in them. I strongly believe that children should not only have access to rigorous academic content, but should be able to explore joyful learning through art, technology, and nature. Outside of my job, I love cooking, playing music, going on long walks, reading, dancing, and spending time with my friends and family. 


A recent Interview with Cara: 

What is your favorite thing about being a Kinder Teacher at CBA? 
I absolutely love my team at Caliber. Emily, Tracy, Liv, Ofelia, and Selena are all wonderful colleagues and friends.  I think that we are an incredible balance of individuals. We come from many different backgrounds and with different ideas of what education should be for our youngest learners.  Our various viewpoints mesh so well together. We have a strong (and ever-evolving) vision for what we want kindergarten to be.  

What was your favorite subject growing up? 
Literature, literature, literature! I love reading, writing, analyzing, and discussing literature! I also enjoyed journalism in high school. I got to write album reviews and news stories, and later became the Editor in Chief of the school newspaper. 

Did you always think you were going to become a teacher? 
I think that teaching may have always been at the back of my mind, but my aspirations were always changing. I wanted to be a writer, a physical therapist, in a band, a policy maker, everything... haha. 

Favorite candy bar or sweet treat?
Dark Chocolate

If you could go on a dream vacation, what would you do + where would you go? 
Since I am currently reading "A Song of Ice and Fire" books (Game of Thrones), I would want to visit Westeros and the Free Cities. There, I would want to visit Old Town and read some books in the library. 

What is your favorite thing about the Bay Area (or specifically about Richmond!)? 
I love the incorporation of nature into the cities of the Bay Area. I also love the vibrancy of people and culture!

What is one fun fact that most people don't know about you? 
I was a singer in a reggae band in high school. 

Come visit Beta Academy to see Cara in action!!