by Jen Myers

(Each month, Wellpoint, Lowell Public Schools and InsideLowell honor a Lowell teacher for their exemplary work in the classroom and for going the extra mile to serve as a positive influence in the lives of their students)

While studying Education at Rivier College, Danielle Wright was certain about one thing – she never, ever, ever, wanted to teach kindergarten. Nope. It was not for her. Put her in a classroom of third-graders, but don’t even think about asking her to teach kindergarten.

Wright has been a kindergarten teacher at the Bailey Elementary School for the last 18 years.

Funny how life works like that sometimes.

“I remember thinking that the idea of teaching children to read, of giving them the foundation that they would need to become readers, felt incredibly overwhelming,” she said. “After student teaching in first grade, I realized that I actually really loved teaching children the foundations of reading. And though I still wasn’t convinced that teaching kindergarten was for me, as luck would have it, it was the position that I was offered. As it turns out, I loved it and the one grade I thought I would never teach has become my passion.”

The beginning of the school year in kindergarten offers some unique challenges. Students arrive at all different levels of school readiness; some have attended preschool or daycare; others may have never been away from their family before.

“We spend a lot of time in the first six weeks of school teaching expectations, rules, and routines, so everyone is on a level playing field,” Wright said. “I take the time to slowly introduce every tool in our class and never assume that any child has had prior experience with that tool. For example, before students first use crayons, we have a whole lesson about what crayons are and what they are used for. We model how to use them appropriately and where to store them when they are not in use.”

Students are also taught how to move from one place to another, what it means to walk in a line, and how to maintain personal space; building expectations and classroom routines that become second nature for the students.

“The first six weeks (or longer) of kindergarten are often an exhausting and exciting blur for both the children and the teachers,” she said. “However, once those important rules and routines are established, children feel safe, know what to expect, and can begin their academic journey.”

Of course, kindergarten is also a time for great fun and Wright embraces the freedom to sing, dance, and get silly with her students.

“We start every day with a song,” she said. “While there are some exceptions, most kindergarten children have not yet learned to feel inhibited. They are not afraid or embarrassed to do their craziest dance move. I don’t know when self-consciousness starts to set in, but I am so glad that I get my students before it creeps in too much.”

Wright said she appreciates that so much learning in Lowell kindergarten classes is done though a centers-based curriculum, where students learn through modeling and practice. They build vocabulary and learn responsibility and time management, all while engaging in play based academic centers.

“Danielle creates a culture of fun, engaging learning for students and is willing to try anything to support their learning,” said Bailey Elementary School Principal Kim Clements.

Wright was born and raised in Lowell, attending the Morey and Daley schools and graduating from Lowell High School in 2002.

She said she always felt drawn to the teaching profession, and was inspired by her older sister, who is also a teacher.

“I learned a lot from her as she studied to become a teacher,” she said. “I got to help her set up her first classroom and saw the joy she experienced when she talked about her students.”

Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development with a concentration in Elementary and Special Education from Rivier College, and a master’s of Education degree in Reading, also from Rivier.

In the fall of her senior year at Rivier, she was a pre-practicum student at the Bailey and enjoyed it so much she asked to do her student teaching there as well.

“Now that I am a teacher, I know what a commitment it is to take on a student teacher and am so grateful that these two teachers were willing to share their knowledge and expertise with me,” she said. “I learned so much from them both that I still carry with me in my teaching today.”

Wright spent a year as a long-term substitute special education teacher before being hired to teach kindergarten at the Bailey in the fall of 2007.

She does not hesitate when asked what she enjoys teaching most, and a visit to her classroom certainly backs that up – it is Letterland.

Letterland is a curriculum used to teach phonics using interactive stories, songs, and movement.

“When we started using Letterland, I saw amazing growth in the students’ ability to identify letters and letter sounds,” she said.  “Every letter has a corresponding character with a specific story and song. At the beginning of the year, children learn all of the Letterlanders along with their action tricks. We then study each letter in more depth. By giving every letter a story and character, children have something to anchor their knowledge to. It can be difficult for children to create meaning around letters when they have no context beyond hearing and seeing the letter.”

“Every day, we sing the theme song as we journey to Letterland,” Wright said. “When I say, “Let’s go to Letterland”, the children are up and ready to go!”

While kindergarten can be chaotic at times, Wright said she is mindful to find joy and purpose in moments that may seem small in the overall big picture, but are significant milestones in the growth of a Kindergartener: when the student who freezes when called on raises her hand and answers a question; when you turn and realize the child who needs step by step support to get ready to go home has put on his own coat; when the little girl with nine letters in her name finally writes her name without a model;  when you’ve been working on sentence expansion and a student who is learning English formulates a ten-word sentence; or when you take them outside on the first beautiful day of spring to play with sidewalk chalk and they all agree that this small act has made it the “best day ever.”

“Some of the most rewarding moments are those that are least measurable by a standardized test or assessment,” Wright said. “Kindergarten is a busy place and there is always something happening. We are always moving from one activity to another and it can be easy to miss those small moments, or even to take them for granted. It is truly these successes that seem so small on the surface that mean the most.”

Wright said she hopes a piece of the kindergarten experience she provides lives on within her students as they venture forth to first grade and beyond.

She compares Kindergarten to “Roxaboxen,” a book they read in class where a group of children create a pretend town; when the children all grow up, Roxaboxen remains.

“I hope they will be problem solvers and flexible thinkers; that they will take academic risks, ask questions, and look for answers,” Wright said.  “They may not remember every moment of kindergarten, or even much beyond a few standout memories, but I hope they will always remember feelings of warmth, happiness, and comfort.”

“There is a line from the musical “Hamilton” that makes me think of my job as a teacher – “What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see,” she said.  “I realize now that I may never know what impact I have. However, I know that I can keep watering my garden and hope that it will make some small difference in each child’s life.”

All About Ms. Wright

Hobbies: Spending time with family, going to the beach, Pure Barre, reading

Dream Vacation: Santorini, Greece or seeing koalas in Australia

Favorite song to sing in the car: Return of the Mack (love 90s music)

Favorite meal: Chicken Piccata

Favorite snack: Cheeto popcorn

Favorite Movie: Little Women (1994 version)

Favorite Book: Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Favorite TV Show: Abbott Elementary

Favorite Fictional Character: Hello Kitty