TEACHER FEATURE – MRS. CINDY TRIESCH (2012)
Cindy Triesch believes the most important gifts a teacher can give a student are roots and wings. By this she means roots of inner strength and wings of independence to allow them to soar in whatever direction their strengths lead them. She has spent the last 12 years of her life as a credentialed elementary school teacher starting out at Montgomery Elementary School in Chula Vista as a Language Arts Specialist for two years. She then moved into the classroom teaching a 2nd and 3rd grade combination class. After teaching a 3rd grade class at Montgomery, she moved to HILLTOP where she has taught 4th grade, 3rd grade, and 2nd grade.
"I love working with kids and being able to make a difference in their lives,” said Triesch who has a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from Cal State Fullerton in addition to her teaching credential. “I really enjoy watching my students learn and seeing their faces when they get something they didn’t understand before. There’s value to my time here and I feel that I’m making a difference.”
Mrs. Triesch believes her most important role as a teacher is educating her students and making them aware that they can learn anything they set their minds to. She enjoys inspiring them, exciting them about learning, and being there for support when they have doubts. “Children can and will learn as long as you remain positive with them.”
If a student is having difficulty learning in her classroom, she finds their interests and strengths and builds upon this. “It’s like a snowball effect. Pretty soon things start sticking and it gets bigger and bigger. Soon they start believing in themselves and they begin to understand,” said Triesch.
One of the most interesting things going on in her classroom right now is that she is teaching a unit about California. She is using a book entitled California Here We Come by children’s author Pam Munoz Ryan. “It’s important that my students know some things about the state in which we live. The book is filled with lots of facts and information about California and they are really enjoying it,” said Triesch.
Mrs. Triesch is also in charge of a Primary Book Club that meets twice a month after school. The club is made up of 2nd and 3rd graders and the students select a book and do different projects that reinforce reading strategies. Some of the books that they have focused in on this year include Because of Winn Dixie, The Family under the Bridge, A Very Crazy Christmas, and The School Mouse.
Mrs. Triesch feels that parents play a key role in their child’s education. “They set the example and tone for expectations. I have a great group of parents and always encourage them to talk with me if they have any concerns.”
Reading is a subject that is near and dear to her heart. She believes it is the backbone of everything she teaches including math. If students in her class finish their work, independent reading is the number one free choice activity. “I feel that they are learning so much when they read independently and they don’t even know they are learning.”
Mrs. Triesch believes students can do certain things to help themselves be more successful. “I congratulate kids that think on their own and aren’t influenced too much by others. They need to trust themselves and think critically. When they make mistakes they shouldn’t be too hard on themselves and use these mistakes to learn.”
Collaborating with her fellow third grade teachers (Barbara Dunwoodie, B.J. Schweitzer, and Karen Gurule) is something she enjoys. “We each bring something unique to the table and we use each others’ strengths to improve our grade level teaching,” said Triesch.
Mrs. Triesch also really enjoys it when former students come back to visit her and keep her posted on what is going on in their lives. Recently, one of her former students wrote some poetry and one of the poems was published in a children’s anthology of poetry.
In her spare time she enjoys gardening, reading, being outside, and watching sunsets. She also loves going camping and can drive big trucks. “When we go camping, I’m the one that backs up the trailer,” said Triesch.
She has been married for 26 years and her husband Nick is a retired Cruise Missile mechanic with the Civil Service. He now works at Sea World in the Security Department. They have three children including Jackie (35). Jackie is married, lives in Corona, California and has three children. Their son Jeff (24) recently graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University and is in the Army as a Second Lt. In the California National Guard. He is now pursuing a master’s degree and plans to become an Army Chaplain. Emily, their youngest daughter, is going to college in Missouri at William Woods University and is pursuing a degree in Equestrian Studies.
Cindy Triesch believes the most important gifts a teacher can give a student are roots and wings. By this she means roots of inner strength and wings of independence to allow them to soar in whatever direction their strengths lead them. She has spent the last 12 years of her life as a credentialed elementary school teacher starting out at Montgomery Elementary School in Chula Vista as a Language Arts Specialist for two years. She then moved into the classroom teaching a 2nd and 3rd grade combination class. After teaching a 3rd grade class at Montgomery, she moved to HILLTOP where she has taught 4th grade, 3rd grade, and 2nd grade.
"I love working with kids and being able to make a difference in their lives,” said Triesch who has a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from Cal State Fullerton in addition to her teaching credential. “I really enjoy watching my students learn and seeing their faces when they get something they didn’t understand before. There’s value to my time here and I feel that I’m making a difference.”
Mrs. Triesch believes her most important role as a teacher is educating her students and making them aware that they can learn anything they set their minds to. She enjoys inspiring them, exciting them about learning, and being there for support when they have doubts. “Children can and will learn as long as you remain positive with them.”
If a student is having difficulty learning in her classroom, she finds their interests and strengths and builds upon this. “It’s like a snowball effect. Pretty soon things start sticking and it gets bigger and bigger. Soon they start believing in themselves and they begin to understand,” said Triesch.
One of the most interesting things going on in her classroom right now is that she is teaching a unit about California. She is using a book entitled California Here We Come by children’s author Pam Munoz Ryan. “It’s important that my students know some things about the state in which we live. The book is filled with lots of facts and information about California and they are really enjoying it,” said Triesch.
Mrs. Triesch is also in charge of a Primary Book Club that meets twice a month after school. The club is made up of 2nd and 3rd graders and the students select a book and do different projects that reinforce reading strategies. Some of the books that they have focused in on this year include Because of Winn Dixie, The Family under the Bridge, A Very Crazy Christmas, and The School Mouse.
Mrs. Triesch feels that parents play a key role in their child’s education. “They set the example and tone for expectations. I have a great group of parents and always encourage them to talk with me if they have any concerns.”
Reading is a subject that is near and dear to her heart. She believes it is the backbone of everything she teaches including math. If students in her class finish their work, independent reading is the number one free choice activity. “I feel that they are learning so much when they read independently and they don’t even know they are learning.”
Mrs. Triesch believes students can do certain things to help themselves be more successful. “I congratulate kids that think on their own and aren’t influenced too much by others. They need to trust themselves and think critically. When they make mistakes they shouldn’t be too hard on themselves and use these mistakes to learn.”
Collaborating with her fellow third grade teachers (Barbara Dunwoodie, B.J. Schweitzer, and Karen Gurule) is something she enjoys. “We each bring something unique to the table and we use each others’ strengths to improve our grade level teaching,” said Triesch.
Mrs. Triesch also really enjoys it when former students come back to visit her and keep her posted on what is going on in their lives. Recently, one of her former students wrote some poetry and one of the poems was published in a children’s anthology of poetry.
In her spare time she enjoys gardening, reading, being outside, and watching sunsets. She also loves going camping and can drive big trucks. “When we go camping, I’m the one that backs up the trailer,” said Triesch.
She has been married for 26 years and her husband Nick is a retired Cruise Missile mechanic with the Civil Service. He now works at Sea World in the Security Department. They have three children including Jackie (35). Jackie is married, lives in Corona, California and has three children. Their son Jeff (24) recently graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University and is in the Army as a Second Lt. In the California National Guard. He is now pursuing a master’s degree and plans to become an Army Chaplain. Emily, their youngest daughter, is going to college in Missouri at William Woods University and is pursuing a degree in Equestrian Studies.