Shelly Slauer
Shelly Slauer
Kindergarten
Professional Biography:
I received a B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University, Hayward and earned my elementary teaching certificate at Bethany Bible College. I began my teaching career in the fall of 1988 at Searles Elementary School in California where I taught kindergarten, first, and second grades to a diverse population of students. Because over 75% of my students were second language learners, I continued my education and completed a 2 year certification program in English Language Development. I continued teaching at Searles for 11 years until my family moved to Grand Rapids in the fall of 2000. After staying home for a year, I missed teaching, and I was very grateful to receive a job teaching kindergarten at Ada Christian.
Personal Biography:
I am married to Charles and have two children. I enjoy playing piano and leading worship at my church, waterskiing, running, walking my dog, and reading.
Faith Statement:
Matthew 19:14 says, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” This is the first verse that I teach to my kindergarteners because I want them to know more than anything else that they are important to God and that He loves them!
My faith shapes the way I see my students. I believe that God loves each of them, gave them unique talents, and the capacity to learn. I believe it is my role, as educator, to help each student realize his/her full potential by providing an enriching environment, in the context of a safe and caring community. Because I believe that parents should be engaged as full partners in the learning process, I try to provide open communication with them. My hope is that each of my students will ultimately make Jesus the Lord of their lives and be properly equipped to serve God in His world.
