Mr. Lott's Online Classroom
Mr. Stephen Lott, Forsyth School
Updated: September 23, 2007

Words

objective:

Every teacher needs an objective, here's mine...

To provide readers with basic information about me and why I chose to teach. Also, to provide second grade parents with a list of our spelling words.

personal information:

· Second grade teacher at Forsyth School in St. Louis, Missouri. I am in my seventh year at Forsyth, and my eleventh year of teaching.

· Staying up to date on current events by watching the news and reading newspapers and magazines is something I enjoy.

· I also enjoy spending time with friends and learning more about technology; this includes taking many digital photos. Along with this, I enjoy researching family history and have recently started taking classes to learn how to bind books..

· 2001, completed my Master's Degree at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville

· 1997-2001, tenured third grade teacher at Greenville Elementary School in Greenville, Illinois

· 1997 graduate of Greenville College

· 1994 graduate of Central Christian College of Kansas

· 1992 graduate of Hannibal High School, Hannibal, Missouri

frequently asked questions:

What subjects do you teach?

My main focus is language arts. I teach reading, language (skills and mechanics), spelling, and writing. My teaching partner and I share responsibilities in teaching social studies.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Recess and Lunch! Just kidding, this is the response that most kids give. I enjoyed science and reading the most I think (that was a long time ago).

What is your favorite book, and who is it by?

I have so many favorite books it is hard to choose. I think as of recently, my new favorite book is Mr. Lincoln's Way by Patricia Polacco. Ms. Polacco is a fantastic author; all of her books that I have read have challenged me and inspired me on some personal level.

What do you expect from your students

Sometimes I expect a great deal from my students. I hold these expectations because I believe that students will achieve more if they reach toward higher expectations than if they have no or low expectations to reach for.

When the rubber meets the road, I expect students to always do their best. We all have bad days, and we all make mistakes. Keeping this in mind, all we can do is our personal best! What is most important is that my students feel good about school and feel good about their progress. I work at encouraging them on a daily basis. I find that respecting my students and their parents brings me respect in return.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I enjoy watching students learn. I enjoy the look on their face when they finally "get" whatever it is they are trying to learn. I also enjoy all the personal rewards I get working with children; this includes making a difference in young lives.

Why did you become a teacher?

I remember vividly sitting in my second grade classroom, discovering for the first time that teachers get paid for teaching. My second grade teacher said something about coming to work, when I asked her where she worked, she let my classmates and I know that she was a teacher, and that was her job. It was at that time I decided I wanted to get paid for putting up bulletin boards and grading papers. Before that moment, I thought the teachers lived in the teacher’s lounge.

I was inspired by several of my teachers. They made learning fun, and made teaching seem easy. My first, second, and third grade teachers had great impact in molding my early "education experience" in a positive way. I am forever grateful to them.

What is your favorite color?

I think I have two favorite colors. I like the colors blue and green. I also like dark, deep, rich colors; many of which are found in nature.

If you weren't a teacher what would you be?

I enjoy teaching a great deal, it gives me many rewards and I get to learn many new things all the time. If I weren't a teacher, I would probably learn more about computers and try to get a "computer job." I also think working in advertising or marketing might be interesting (even though I don't have any formal education in these fields).

contact me:

Do you have thoughts about my page that you would like to share? Have you found a link that does not work? If so, e-mail me. I try to respond to all e-mails.