By Alexis Newman
As the saying goes, the children are the future, and a major component to their success lies in the people teaching them. Thankfully, with teachers such as Dionna LeBlanc, it seems that the future is in good hands.
Currently a kindergarten teacher at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, LeBlanc has 12 years of teaching experience. Raising up the next generation can be a daunting task, but LeBlanc provided insight into her personal methods for providing the best education to the children as possible.
One of the most important parts of teaching such young students is acknowledging that they’re still children and that each of them has a different learning style. LeBlanc said that, while they are routine-oriented, she also likes to make sure that the kids are being interactive rather than sitting and memorizing all day.
“Kids obviously learn differently, and so I like to incorporate a lot of singing and movement,” said LeBlanc. “I love learning in fun ways.”
Despite all the fun and games, LeBlanc also stressed the importance of teaching responsibility through positive reinforcement. Students have opportunities throughout the week to earn or lose fake money, which they can spend on prizes on Fridays. Rather than scold the students, she tries to talk with them to break down why they lost money and how they can earn money instead next time, a method that she says the kids respond well to.
“Now that I have an organized and structured kind of environment, it’s a lot easier for me to drive those points home and have that resonate with them so they can take those throughout their life,” LeBlanc said. “That’s my way of making the difference there with them, so they can be responsible and accountable for their actions.”
By teaching in the way that she does, LeBlanc hopes to provide a strong foundation for the students to build upon, a goal which she says is the reason she chose to work at as low of a grade level as kindergarten.
LeBlanc said, “I’m all about training great grown-up humans, and so my way of doing that is trying to be a great teacher.”
To get a sneak peek into LeBlanc’s teaching in action, visit her YouTube channel DIONNA LEBLANC where she reads children’s stories or her Instagram @teacherdionna.
