Rachel Sattinger
1st Grade
B.A. Religious Studies/India Studies
M.A. Elementary Education, Indiana University, Bloomington
First Year Teaching 2005
First Year Teaching at Gateway Spring 2006
Experience Rachel began teaching during her travels to Northern India where she taught English and Indian History in a public English medium school. Upon returning to her hometown of Bloomington, Indiana she began her credential/master's program at Indiana University. In 2005 she relocated to Santa Cruz and developed and led a summer program for students entering kindergarten, first and second grades at Tara Redwood School in the Soquel Hills. Rachel came to Gateway midway through the year in 2006, in a temporary maternity leave position, and was thrilled and honored to be able to stay.
"I find the excitement of my students contagious," Rachel explains. "I love where their inquiries, love of learning, and joy in experiencing the world take us each day! First grade is all about community building and I delight in seeing the students learn how to communicate with each other and express themselves confidently and creatively."
Rachel relishes the "ah-ha" moments that are simultaneously precious and (thankfully) oh so common in first grade! She looks forward to tide pooling each spring as a culmination of the first grade study of the rocky seashore community.
When she's not in the classroom, Rachel enjoys riding her bike, rock climbing, hiking or spending time at home reading and cooking. You can also find her regularly in a yoga class learning the fine (and very useful) art of being "flexible."
