Miss Janet Pesch

"The greatest gift I have as a Lutheran teacher is sharing my faith with the students in my class. Given that we live in a world that rejects Christian teaching, it is even more important that the Word of God is shared with the children at St. John’s Lutheran, so their faith may grow daily. It is also my responsibility to model to the students how a Christian should live both at school and in my daily life."

"As a teacher, I need to prepare students academically for their middle school years. It’s important that I get to know the students in my class and understand their strengths and weaknesses. I help students learn academic information through note taking, research projects, lecture, group work, and daily homework. Academic information is important to learn, but maybe even more important is helping students learn how to study. I help students with memorization, organization, test taking skills, etc."

"Out of all the subjects I teach, I find the most joy in teaching reading and writing skills. Reading and writing skills are key to being successful in all other subjects. I received a master’s degree in Reading and Language Arts in 2000. Some of the most useful skills I learned were how to diagnose students’ reading levels along with ways to improve students’ reading fluency and comprehension. In my class, the students are taught the five steps to writing. I have the students use those steps for writing projects such as narrative stories, poetry, research reports, writing letters to our church shut-ins, etc. I am an avid reader, and I share that love of reading with my students. Our reading curriculum stresses the key skills to reading: questioning, monitor and clarify, predicting, decoding, and summarizing. I give students time during school for silent reading, I have students participate in Accelerated Reader and Battle of the Books, monthly book reports and reading logs are assigned, and I have a large classroom library. I find opportunities during the school day to listen to students read and give them tips on improving their reading."

"I believe that all students can be successful through the gifts and talents God has given them. It’s my job as a teacher to lead and guide them to find that success. Success in school gives students more confidence and hopefully a desire to continue to be successful by working hard and doing their best. I remind students often that the gifts and talents we have are from God and to remember to thank and praise Him for them."