I am so excited to begin my first year teaching at St Ann School!  This is my sixth year teaching but my first year returning to the classroom after taking time to be home with my four children.  All four of my children are students at St Ann School (K, 1st, 5th, and 8th) so it's an extra bonus for me to be teaching alongside their teachers.  I have been very involved with St Ann School PTA and continue to serve as a PTA board member.

I love teaching young children.  They bring a curiousity and love of learning to each and every day! I am a firm believer in learning through play. Through play they are developing social skills, oral language skills, and perfecting those fine and gross motor skills needed to enter into Kindergarten.  We infuse movement and music into each day (just ask them-Mrs Socha loves to sing) through songs, fingerplays (fine motor), rhymes, and gross motor movements.
Our preschool day is a mix of student lead, play-based learning and teacher directed lessons and activities. We are very active learners in PreK-4

These days our preschool day look a little different.  We have moved from a hands on learning model to a brand new virtual distance learning model.  It's definitely been an adventure teaching preschool remotely.  We keep in touch via our Bloomz communication app, Zoom conference meetings and Flip Grid-a video based sharing site. We've even created a special Pinterest board to help our parents in providing some really great hands on home learning.  Preschool is a time when our children are developing both their social and oral language skills-not exactly easy to do during a time of social distancing. Our Zoom chats are loud, crazy, and exactly what we need to be able to see each other and chat with our friends.  Our Flip Grid videos allow us to see each other and talk to each other even from the comfort of our own homes.  We are continuing to practice our letters and numbers, we are leaning new songs, we are exploring our emotions, and we are continuing to move forward as best we can.  I can not thank my parent partners enough for thier patience and support as we navigate this new adventure together! 
 
When not teaching, I can be found home with my husband, four children, 2 dogs and cat.  I love to read and craft in my spare time. I am very happy to be joining the St Ann School family as a staff member.  It's not often that people are given the opportunity to do what they love at a place that they love.  I am blessed to have been given just that!