Curator of Curiosity and Wonder: Erin Scott’s Kindergarten Calling

For Erin Scott P ’17, ’22, teaching Kindergarten at Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) isn’t a job—it’s a lifelong calling. Over the course of the more than a quarter century she’s spent at SSFS, she has nurtured the curiosity of countless young learners, guided by the School’s Quaker values, her belief in the importance of experimenting and making mistakes in order to learn, and her commitment to the power of play. Whether teaching college courses, composing music for grade-level plays, or learning an entirely new way to teach literacy over two decades into her career, this bilingual self-proclaimed “research nerd” brings creativity, warmth, and dedication to everything she does. Read on for edited excerpts from our recent conversation with Erin, in which she reflects on her journey as an educator, the magic of Kindergarten, and what makes SSFS feel like home.

You are a veteran Kindergarten Teacher at SSFS. Tell us about your professional journey.

I wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember—a Kindergarten teacher, specifically. I loved my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Gibson. She took me under her wing, and when I was older, I’d skip recess to help her in her Kindergarten room. I’ve always felt very comfortable around young children—come to think of it, I’ve never had a job that didn’t involve working with kids. Starting at 12, I volunteered for four summers in the child development center at Goddard Space Flight Center (where my dad worked), and by 16, I was working at an early childhood center. 

I went to the University of Maryland for undergrad and did student teaching at the Center for Young Children, a lab school in the university’s Education Department. At lab schools, teaching was approached in the same way we learned in college, so it was a seamless transition. Then I student-taught in a public school. This experience was very different—it helped me realize I wanted a more progressive educational setting.

I was hired to teach at U MD’s Center for Young Children right out of college and worked there for four years. I loved learning and found the way kids’ minds work to be fascinating, so I started a grad program at night to earn my M.A. in Human Development with a concentration in Early Childhood Education.  During that time, I taught from 7:00 am-3:00 pm and then went to grad school on the same campus from 4:00 to 10:00 pm. 

I heard good things about SSFS while I was at the University of Maryland. When a position opened for a Pre-K teacher in 1999, I applied. From the moment I first drove on campus, it might sound hokey, but I got this magical, special feeling.

After shifting from Pre-K to Kindergarten and a year teaching 3rd Grade, I was asked to fill in teaching Music for Pre-K and Kindergarten, and I continued to teach music for several years while returning to my Kindergarten classroom. I have been a flutist forever, and I also play guitar and ukulele, but I never imagined that music would have anything to do with my job. I loved teaching music, and I keep my hand in it by writing music for our grade-level plays and being involved in the Community Play pit orchestra—I’ve met so many people through the Community Play, from parents to alums to Upper School kids—it’s so Sandy Spring!

For many years, SSFS had a connection with Gallaudet [private, federally chartered university and global leader in education for deaf & hard of hearing students in D.C.]—their deaf student teachers would do practicums here. Supervising Gallaudet’s student teachers made me want to learn ASL [American Sign Language] and learn about Deaf culture and community, so I took classes at Gallaudet. After several years of supervising their student teachers, Gallaudet asked me to be an adjunct professor of Early Childhood Education. It was a great challenge—not just because I was teaching in a second language (that has regional dialects just like any other), but also because it caused me to reflect on ‘the why’ behind what I do. I enjoy incorporating sign language at SSFS, teaching my Kindergartners the alphabet, colors, numbers, and more.

What keeps you at the School year after year?

It’s my 26th year, and I’m still here because of the community—the people I work with, the children, the families. SSFS feels like home to me; we take care of each other and support each other. The friendships I’ve made here are enduring—it’s both a fun and supportive place to work. I love that at a PK-12 school, I get to see kids grow up. They come back to my Kindergarten room as 17-year-old senior buddies.

I love how the SPICES [Quaker values of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship] and being part of Meeting for Worship [a Quaker gathering involving sitting in quiet reflection and sharing thoughts as participants feel led] help kids develop from wiggly Kindergartners to young adults who can speak from their hearts. The Senior-Faculty Meeting for Worship is an incredible event that demonstrates this transformation every year. To hear the seniors talk about what the School, their teachers, and the SPICES mean to them…Kleenex is required!

The SPICES influence everything, including how we talk about current events. Some discussions should be saved for home, but one gift SSFS gives students is to guide them in intentional and open discussions at school. I’ve been here through events like 9/11 and the DC sniper attacks, and I’ve found that SSFS is really good at helping students navigate tough things. I also see the SPICES emphasized through environmental stewardship—we strongly promote taking care of the earth. When we talk about the SPICES, it’s how our Quaker values are woven into every day. We don’t preach it, we live it.

I’ve also been an SSFS parent; my two very different kids had two very different experiences. My son Connor [Scott ’17] developed strong connections to faculty and had an incredible social experience here that I don’t think he could have found in public school. Classes like woodworking allowed him to hone his childhood passion for tinkering and primed him to Let His Life Speak as a trained mechanic. My daughter Meghan [Scott ’22] soaked in everything SSFS had to offer, from student government to sports. The School really developed her as a leader; she comes back from college as often as she can, attending assemblies and reading to my class. She wants to be a learning specialist at SSFS! 

What do you love most about teaching Kindergarten?

Kindergarten is my sweet spot. I love their sense of wonder and how the world looks through kindergarteners' eyes, how simple things like spotting a worm on the ground can spark enormous curiosity and research. It’s amazing how the kids can shape the curriculum—if they show a passion for a particular topic, I’ll modify our curriculum to respond to that. We have incredibly rich discussions—and I love how you never know where the conversation is going to go! At SSFS,  we don’t shy away from difficult topics, but we guide discussions in an age-appropriate way, teaching kids that you don’t have to think or believe the same as someone else, but we can all be respectful of each other’s beliefs. 

Kindergartners love so freely and deeply; I love their energy and the way they learn through play. Kindergarten has become much more academic over the years, but play is still so important. They need to dig in the mud, play dress up, build with blocks…to try and fail. Being able to teach Kindergartners that making mistakes is how you learn is such a privilege. And those ‘aha moments’ when reading suddenly starts to click? I get choked up when kids who have struggled suddenly have a breakthrough—it means so much.

Speaking of reading…how do you build a strong literacy foundation in your Kindergartners?

I have done a lot of training to shift how I teach literacy from the way I learned in college to the research-based, phonics-focused approach that is so much better for children. I’m a research nerd, and the data [on teaching literacy skills through phonics] is so encouraging. I started my career teaching with a ‘whole language’ method—the idea was essentially that kids would learn to read by focusing on language as a whole—learning a whole word instead of breaking it down into its sounds. Some kids can learn that way, but not all. Now, we teach based on Science of Reading research, using explicitly taught phonics, and we’re able to reach all students on their literacy journey. 

Here in the Lower School at SSFS, we’ve been so lucky to have been trained in Orton Gillingham [research-based instructional methodology combining direct, multi-sensory teaching strategies with systematic, sequential lessons focused on phonics]. It was initially designed for reading specialists to use with dyslexic or struggling students, but they’ve realized it’s effective for everyone. This is my second year teaching Orton Gillingham, and I’ve seen so much growth with this engaging, multisensory method. It’s made me a better teacher to know the science behind the approach, and my students are building the skills to decode unfamiliar words rather than relying solely on memorization.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time at SSFS?

I’m constantly amazed by SSFS students—their kindness, their empathy, and their awareness of what’s going on in the world. I see it between seniors and their Kindergarten buddies, in Middle Schoolers who are passionate about issues from water pollution to civil rights, and in Lower School kids who bounce back quickly from conflict with each other (let’s just say the world could learn a lot from watching Kindergartners!). 

When they go out into the world, SSFS students are going to make a difference. I always call my students “my kids”—after you spend an entire year with them and you’ve been through so much together, it truly feels that way. The Class of 2014 was extra special to me, though. I had had so many of them as students—between Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 3rd Grade—that at the Senior-Faculty Meeting for Worship before their graduation, I was so emotional, I just signed ‘I love you’ because I couldn’t speak. 

Any final thoughts?

The School has given me so much as a teacher, parent, and person. So much has changed in my 26 years, but one thing stays the same. There’s something about this place that makes alums stand out—they leave ready to Let Their Lives Speak. 

Erin’s Tips for Promoting Kindergarten Readiness

Access the printable one-sheet for a readily accessible visual reminder at home!

Kindergarten Readiness Printable

General Guidance for Families

• Develop a culture of reading in your family | Let them see you enjoying books, read to your child regularly, go to the local library, and sign your child up for a library card.

• Play card and board games | These build math and language skills. Let your child experience disappointment, frustration, and failure—don’t fix it so they win the game.

• Build hand and finger muscles | Playing with playdough and clay, small Legos, or other small materials will help develop fine motor skills that will support writing and drawing.

• Build independence through life skills | As they indicate readiness, let them zip up their own coat, put on their shoes, etc., even if it’s quicker to do it for them.

• Limit screens |  Let them be outside in nature and get dirty—hands-on learning is best!

• Promote play | Introduce open-ended toys and materials that foster a child’s imagination and creativity.

• Expose to daily tasks and diverse experiences | From the grocery store to museums, take them places!

• Expose to the alphabet, letter sounds, and numbers | Avoid drilling your child and don’t look for a specific workbook or online program; incorporate learning into everyday life.

• Enroll in a preschool program | This provides structure and socialization in preparation for Kindergarten.
  
   

Pre-Literacy Tips

"We know that kids come to SSFS in very different stages when it comes to reading. Because our classes are small, we can meet them wherever they are, treating each child as an individual with their own goals." —Erin Scott P '17, '22

• Encourage but don’t push so you don’t turn them off to reading; provide time and space to let them develop on their own timetable

• Read to them

• Play with language, including rhymes, even if you’re not using real words

• Encourage practice in writing their name

• Promote a sense of the alphabet (e.g. learn the alphabet song) 

• Follow their curiosity about spelling; don’t just give them the answer, but be playful (e.g. our pre-k covers phonological awareness, focusing on listening and playing with language)

• Balance screen time with meaningful, hands-on experiences with language, sounds, and letters, such as playing with letter magnets, making letters out of playdough, and providing open-ended materials such as a blank notebook and crayons.

Erin’s Favorite Books for Kindergartners

"It’s so hard to list just a few! My favorite thing to do in the classroom is to read chapter books, picture books, and info books." —Erin Scott P '17, '22

Picture Books

• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (and many others by same author)
• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena

Chapter books

• Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
• Zoe and Sassafras series by Asia Citro
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
   

Learn More Lower School    Learn More Preschool

Stay tuned for more community spotlights throughout the year!