After beginning her career in education 26 years ago as a substitute teacher and teacher’s aide, Carol Wood fell in love with working with children. She decided to return to school for her master’s degree in education to begin her teaching career.
For the last 15 years, Wood has worked at Westview Elementary School, where she now serves as an aide.
“She is always willing to jump in and help in any situation, including becoming the teacher of a kindergarten classroom when there was a vacancy created two days before school started,” Principal Nick Swords said. “Carol stepped up and did what was best for our students, preparing the room, meeting parents and creating a warm and welcoming environment for the children. Westview is fortunate to have Carol as part of our team.”
I find my work important because … I have the opportunity to work with and learn from so many amazing educators in our building. And on top of that, I get to work with the incredible students in every grade at Westview. It is such a privilege to build relationships with the children at Westview — they are our future, and, as teachers, our small touches in their lives can have a huge impact!
I became a teacher because … I felt like I found my calling when I volunteered in my own children’s school. When my youngest started kindergarten, I began helping out in the school library and in several classrooms. I quickly fell in love with the buzz of learning going on all around me. I wanted to be a part of it, so I went back to school a bit later in life to become a teacher.
My favorite/most unique lesson that I teach is … a unit called “I Wonder” projects. Students list out things they are wondering about and eventually narrow it down to one topic. From there, students conduct their own research, write a report of their findings and come up with a way to visually display what they’ve learned. We culminate this work with a “Night of Wonders” for families to attend. I have facilitated this lesson with first-graders as well as fifth-graders and have always been amazed at what the students learn and create!
My most fulfilling moment on the job was/is when … I was teaching first grade, and throughout the year, I had inserted lessons about growth mindset. My goal was for my students to really see, feel and believe what they could be as learners. In a playful way, I started naming different students what I wanted them to believe about themselves. For example, I called one student “Tommy Writer,” and another student I called “Louis the Leader.” One day during a read-aloud, the word scholar came up. Several students asked what this word meant, and I explained it to them. Immediately, a student’s hand shot up, and she asked, “Mrs. Wood, shouldn’t you be calling all of us scholars?” I wholeheartedly agreed, and in the moments that followed, I could hear students whispering their name coupled with the word scholar. It was a moment I will never forget.
Something else I’m passionate about is … my family! I am lucky to live in the country with my children and grandchildren right nearby. We enjoy hanging out together on weekends, and being close to each other is something I’m grateful for everyday.
My favorite teacher and subject to study in school was … geometry and algebra with Mr. Carvalho. He was really good at pacing our lessons, so we had enough time to practice new learning before taking on more. I went to high school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and Mr. Carvalho was also our school crew coach. In my sophomore year, he persuaded me to try out for our rowing team, a sport I immediately fell in love with! Because of him, I continued rowing into my college years and have so many great memories from participating in that sport.
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be … working with the elderly. I would love to help bring more joy and dignity to people as they age.
