Ms. Palmigiano's Second Grade is a "Beary" Good Place to Learn

Welcome to Second Grade which I hope you will find a Warm and Fuzzy place to be!

My Biography:

Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with Distinction, 2004
California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Clear, March 2001
Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate, 2001
California State University, Northridge
B.A. Interpersonal Communication Studies, Phi Beta Kappa, June 1985
University of California, Los Angeles

Certificate of Achievement - Hawthorne School Second Grade Teaching Team, 1997

I have been teaching Second Grade in the Beverly Hills Unified School District for seventeen years. Prior to this teaching experience, I taught both second and third grade for four years in a private school. I also have extensive experience teaching Kindergarten in the private school system.

During my tenure in Beverly Hills, I have served on various Leadership Teams both at the district and site level. I have participated and served on School Site Council and was a member of the District Character Education Committee; responsible for creating and integrating a district wide character education curriculum including staff development. I am Co-Coordinator of the Conflict Manager Program which trains 4th and 5th grade students in peer mediation with K-3 students helping them to resolve minor conflicts on the playground during recess. I also served as a BTSA support provider for new teachers mentoring and helping them to further develop their teaching skills.

My Philosophy of Education:

My philosophy of education has continued to evolve as I have acquired teaching experience. However, early on in my career, I was exposed to a book called, TRIBES by Jeanne Gibbs, and the various team-building activities it provides. This book has formed the basis for my philosophy in teaching and interacting with students, parents, and colleagues.

TRIBES is a democratic group process, the outcome of which is to develop a positive environment that promotes human growth and learning. It requires learning how to build community through three stages of group development; inclusion (caring), influence (participation and being valued by others), and community (positive expectations and support). There are four agreements used to build community. They are ATTENTIVE LISTENING, APPRECIATION/NO PUT DOWNS, NO NAMES/NO GOSSIP (Mutual Respect), and the RIGHT TO PASS. The mission of TRIBES is: ". . .to assure the healthy development of every child so that each has the knowledge, skills, and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world." (Gibbs, p.22)

The TRIBES classroom is student-centered. The teacher is facilitator using multiple best practice strategies to teach. Everyone belongs. Students themselves are involved in classroom management. Students learn both critical thinking and collaborative social skills along with academic content. Students and teacher assess individual and group accountability jointly. Inherent in the TRIBES process are the protective factors that foster resiliency: caring/sharing, active participation, and positive expectations. The opportunity to practice democracy by encouraging active participation and giving students more choice about what and how they learn is critical to the TRIBES process.

The TRIBES process takes into account the important but much overlooked fact that learning is a social phenomenon. In order for children to learn successfully, they need to feel good about themselves. They need to develop their self-esteem: a quiet inner knowing saying I'm glad to be me. Children nee affirmation of their positive qualities, affirmation from their peers and siblings, and affirmation for themselves based on their own experiences of competency and success.

Research and studies have shown that self-esteem is not related to social class, education or having a mother at home but it comes from the quality of relationships that exist between the child and those who play a significant role in his or her life. In fact, the research has shown the correlates to individual academic achievement and problem behaviors are as follows. There are direct correlations of self-esteem to reading scores. There is a correlation of low self-image to achievement and behavior problems. Anti-social behavior in young children predicts early use of alcohol and/or drugs. There is a direct correlation between teachers and peer negative perceptions of academic ability to arithmetic achievement.

The work of Dr. Benjamin S. Bloom