Patricia Skowrup
2nd Grade
B.A. Pitzer College, Sociology
Graduate studies and continued education with emphasis in psychology, art and education
First Year Teaching 1969
First Year Teaching at Gateway 1976
Experience Patricia's teaching experiences are varied and many. Most of her teaching has been in the primary grades but she has also taught preschool and the middle elementary grades. She has been both a GATE (gifted and talented) teacher and a special needs teacher.
Patricia began at Gateway as the kindergarten teacher when the school's founder, Hannilore Herbig, went on sabbatical. By the next year Patricia was a mother and within a few years she was a Gateway parent and substitute teacher. By 1987 she was teaching full-time at Gateway.
"At Gateway I have found a commitment to educating children that understands the importance of student experience and the opportunity the natural environment provides, encourages the integration of disciplines in the students' activities, and recognizes the need for students to discuss and reflect on their discoveries."
"My classroom is a work of art in progress, reflecting the personalities of my students. What I bring is my carefully selected collection of books, an immense variety of art supplies, and many surfaces upon which the students can experiment, explain and create. My students bring their interests, attitudes and abilities. Once a question is asked, there is an outpouring of possibility. This explorative energy continues throughout the year. My job is to keep it focused and evolving. Nothing is static. There is so much to learn!"
When Patricia isn't teaching she finds joy in reading, writing, flowers, her family and walks with her dog, Ozzy.
