Meet Miss Griffin
Born and raised right outside our Nation's capitol, I attended a private elementary and middle school. Upon completing 8th grade I asked permission from my parents to switch to the local public high school T.C. Williams. At the age of fourteen I felt that there was more to explore and experience outside of the private school I was attending. For those of you movie fans this is the same high school featured in the 2000 Walt Disney film Remember the Titans. At TCW I played lacrosse, field hockey and ran track. I was a member of the Spanish and art club, and the National Honor Society. I graduated with high honors and lettered in Academics.
After applying to many Education Schools on the east coast I decided that the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Watson School of Education was the best place for me to study education. I moved to Wilmington, N.C. in the fall of 2007. The next four years were filled with memorable experiences as I studied to become an educator. I had the opportunity to work closely with the Ronald McDonald House of Greenville, N.C. as a member of a sorority, as well as with the Children's Museum. I volunteered weekly as a tutor at The Good Shepherd Homeless Shelter in Wilmington, N.C. and tutored local 3rd-5th grade students in reading and math twice a week. I completed my internship at Eaton Elementary School in Wilmington, N.C. in a 5th grade classroom of 26 students. There I taught Science & Social Studies to the entire 5th grade, and one section of math and reading to my homeroom class. I also tutored students at Eaton in geometry after school and had the opportunity to participate in a faculty book study on "The Daily 5" by Gail Boushey, a book that is rapidly becoming a solid foundation for elementary schools literacy programs. Prior to completing my internship I had volunteered, observed and completed part-time internships in 4 different grades at 4 different public elementary schools totaling 200+ classroom hours. During my last semester of college I was asked by a professor to partner in completing a study on the use of virtual reality in science and mathematics instruction in K-12 education. Our research and findings were published in an issue of Journal of Curriculum Instruction (JOCI).
Parker, M.A. & Griffin, T. Use of Virtual Reality in Science and Mathematics Instruction in K-12 Education: Journal of Curriculum and Instructions (2010)
As a senior at UNCW I applied for acceptance into a Global Internship program that the university offered. I was accepted and was given the once in a lifetime opportunity to spend 2 months in San Pedro, Belize as a 3rd grade teacher. There I was a 3rd grade teacher to 37 students. Although English is the primary spoken language, Spanish was very prominent. I quickly brushed up on my Spanish skills and enjoyed every minute of my two months in San Pedro. I taught at the local public school: San Pedro Roman Catholic School. I taught in a classroom with dirt floors that did not have electricity or running water. When I was not in the classroom teaching I spent time exploring the island and country, including ancient Mayan ruins, as well as a volunteer in a local animal shelter. I am very thankful for the education system we have in place here in the United States that does not still rely on corporal punishment as a means of behavior management.
This year will be my second year of teaching. Last year I taught 4th grade at Hilburn Academy and have the pleasure of "looping" up to 5th grade this year. I am thrilled to be teaching 5th grade and am anxious for the 2012-2013 school year to begin! At the beginning of the summer I began Graduate School and am currently working on my master's in Curriculum and Instruction which I hope to finish by the end of next summer. I spent the majority of the summer teaching an Engineering program to rising 3rd-8th grades at NCState University. I love working with kids and find enjoyment in being creative and designing. What better way to spend part of my summer then combining the building and tinkering aspect, which inevitably require creativity and design skills, with educating kids?
I am 23 years old and am the middle of three girls. I have an older sister who is 26 and recently got married this past April. She lives in the D.C. Metropolitan area with her husband. I also have a 12 year old sister that is entering 7th grade, that lives back home with our parents. I frequently enjoy going home to visit and am lucky to be able to do so often on the weekends. When I am not teaching working on graduate school assignments, or at home visiting family, I enjoy running, being outside, doing anything artsy that requires creativity, and laughing.
As a student myself, I have always enjoyed those classes that had personable professors. When I felt as though I could relate to my professor or teacher, and knew about them as a person I found that my interest peeked in the class and I was able to enjoy my educational experiences more as a result. Below are a few "about me" facts! I look forward to getting to know you and your student and look forward to an amazing year as your child's 5th grade teacher!
About Miss Griffin:
Full Name: Taryn Keeley Griffin
Birthday: December 19, 1988
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Food: Anything with Pasta
Favorite Snack: Chick-Fil-A Lemonade and Pretzels
Favorite Ice-cream: Mint Chocolate Chip or Ben & Jerry's Phish Food
Favorite Movie: The Blind Side
Favorite TV Channel: TLC or HGTV
Fun Fact: I can make a Donald Duck noise
After applying to many Education Schools on the east coast I decided that the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Watson School of Education was the best place for me to study education. I moved to Wilmington, N.C. in the fall of 2007. The next four years were filled with memorable experiences as I studied to become an educator. I had the opportunity to work closely with the Ronald McDonald House of Greenville, N.C. as a member of a sorority, as well as with the Children's Museum. I volunteered weekly as a tutor at The Good Shepherd Homeless Shelter in Wilmington, N.C. and tutored local 3rd-5th grade students in reading and math twice a week. I completed my internship at Eaton Elementary School in Wilmington, N.C. in a 5th grade classroom of 26 students. There I taught Science & Social Studies to the entire 5th grade, and one section of math and reading to my homeroom class. I also tutored students at Eaton in geometry after school and had the opportunity to participate in a faculty book study on "The Daily 5" by Gail Boushey, a book that is rapidly becoming a solid foundation for elementary schools literacy programs. Prior to completing my internship I had volunteered, observed and completed part-time internships in 4 different grades at 4 different public elementary schools totaling 200+ classroom hours. During my last semester of college I was asked by a professor to partner in completing a study on the use of virtual reality in science and mathematics instruction in K-12 education. Our research and findings were published in an issue of Journal of Curriculum Instruction (JOCI).
Parker, M.A. & Griffin, T. Use of Virtual Reality in Science and Mathematics Instruction in K-12 Education: Journal of Curriculum and Instructions (2010)
As a senior at UNCW I applied for acceptance into a Global Internship program that the university offered. I was accepted and was given the once in a lifetime opportunity to spend 2 months in San Pedro, Belize as a 3rd grade teacher. There I was a 3rd grade teacher to 37 students. Although English is the primary spoken language, Spanish was very prominent. I quickly brushed up on my Spanish skills and enjoyed every minute of my two months in San Pedro. I taught at the local public school: San Pedro Roman Catholic School. I taught in a classroom with dirt floors that did not have electricity or running water. When I was not in the classroom teaching I spent time exploring the island and country, including ancient Mayan ruins, as well as a volunteer in a local animal shelter. I am very thankful for the education system we have in place here in the United States that does not still rely on corporal punishment as a means of behavior management.
This year will be my second year of teaching. Last year I taught 4th grade at Hilburn Academy and have the pleasure of "looping" up to 5th grade this year. I am thrilled to be teaching 5th grade and am anxious for the 2012-2013 school year to begin! At the beginning of the summer I began Graduate School and am currently working on my master's in Curriculum and Instruction which I hope to finish by the end of next summer. I spent the majority of the summer teaching an Engineering program to rising 3rd-8th grades at NCState University. I love working with kids and find enjoyment in being creative and designing. What better way to spend part of my summer then combining the building and tinkering aspect, which inevitably require creativity and design skills, with educating kids?
I am 23 years old and am the middle of three girls. I have an older sister who is 26 and recently got married this past April. She lives in the D.C. Metropolitan area with her husband. I also have a 12 year old sister that is entering 7th grade, that lives back home with our parents. I frequently enjoy going home to visit and am lucky to be able to do so often on the weekends. When I am not teaching working on graduate school assignments, or at home visiting family, I enjoy running, being outside, doing anything artsy that requires creativity, and laughing.
As a student myself, I have always enjoyed those classes that had personable professors. When I felt as though I could relate to my professor or teacher, and knew about them as a person I found that my interest peeked in the class and I was able to enjoy my educational experiences more as a result. Below are a few "about me" facts! I look forward to getting to know you and your student and look forward to an amazing year as your child's 5th grade teacher!
About Miss Griffin:
Full Name: Taryn Keeley Griffin
Birthday: December 19, 1988
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Food: Anything with Pasta
Favorite Snack: Chick-Fil-A Lemonade and Pretzels
Favorite Ice-cream: Mint Chocolate Chip or Ben & Jerry's Phish Food
Favorite Movie: The Blind Side
Favorite TV Channel: TLC or HGTV
Fun Fact: I can make a Donald Duck noise