Introduction

Hello. My name is Ginger Lehmann, and I am a first year Instructional Coach at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Ga. I am completing my 15th year of teaching. Prior to my role as an IC, I was a high school English teacher. After graduating from college and teaching for four years, I took ten years off to raise my four children, who are now ages 21, 20, 18, and 16. The extensive break in my teaching career gave me a unique perspective on the ways the teaching profession has changed over the past three decades.

I first became a teacher because I was an English major, and I did not really know what other "reliable" professions that would offer. Fortunately, I felt well-suited to the teaching profession right away, and my passion for education has grown, especially in the last eleven years. I believe that a good teacher must love students more than he or she loves the content they teach. Therefore, in addition to extensive and current content knowledge and an effective understanding of instructional practices, a good teacher must build foundational relationships with her students. She must get to know them individually and what they bring to the classroom, including cultures, experiences, learning styles, and challenges. All of these things must be considered when deciding how to provide meaningful and engaging instruction. In addition, you must be flexible in your practices, learning from each new group of individuals, and always reflecting and improving your methods. I look forward to learning and growing with the members of this class.