Kids Discover loves our teachers! We are continuing our goal to honor the amazing educators within our community with another installment of Educator of the Month. For April, I’m so happy to introduce Theresa Pogach, a Middle School Teacher from Pennsylvania.
What has your teaching career looked like?
I began my career as an assistant teacher and learned from wonderful educators, becoming a lead teacher in 2009. I have taught preschool, elementary, and middle school. Currently, I work with Middle School students and teach Interactive Humanities.
Where do you teach now and what grade/subject?
AIM Academy, 6th-8th, Interactive Humanities
How has your teaching experience changed in recent years?
During the pandemic, I incorporated so many new technologies into my teaching. Remote learning presented challenges, but it also provided a unique opportunity to throw out the playbook and create something new. I’m proud of how I could integrate interactive technologies to keep my students engaged. There are excellent tools available for teachers, including Kids Discover Online.
When did you add Kids Discover to your classroom routine?
Kids Discover Online has been a part of my classroom curriculum for four years.
How has Kids Discover impacted your students?
My students see history differently through Kids Discover Online. The interactive features and accessible explanations make it easy, fun, and effective for kids to learn through your platform. Students even request “free time” to explore other topics through Kids Discover Online because they know the articles will teach them what they want to know about almost any academic subject.
What is your favorite feature or aspect of Kids Discover?
I work with students with learning differences. The accommodations ensure every child can get the most out of this resource. The varying Lexile reading levels for each article and the text to speech option are fantastic!
What do you love the most about teaching?
I love being there for the “aha” moments. Quality teachers carefully curate those moments, demonstrating the magical nature of our profession. We don’t give children knowledge; we provide children a path to understanding and show them how to navigate information to make profound inferences.
What are your hopes for the future of education?
I hope that teachers will continue to innovate with the tools that make education as engaging and inspiring as possible. Teaching is an art form that evolves and improves constantly. I hope opportunities for teachers to innovate are abundant and easily accessible.
