Mrs. Ram has taught 1st grade at Carden for 19 years. She also serves as the school Special Education Director. She loves learning as well at teaching and has earned hundreds of hours of professional credit through the many professional growth courses she has taken. She enjoys teaching, reading, hiking (with some friendly goats that a Carden family owns, and spending time with her family. In September, 2011, Mrs. Ram was names one of three finalists for the Arizona Charter Association’s TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
First Graders are becoming independent readers, writers, and mathematicians. They have access to a large number of books in the classroom, which they read with their teacher, by themselves, and to each other. Some of the classroom books are allowed to go home with the students for an evening of sharing. Reading instruction is taught systematically using the Carden reading method.
Writing practice includes writing sentences together with Mrs. Ram, language comprehension and sentence analysis. Creative writing is practiced throughout the year, and student creative writing is published in a book at the end of the year that goes home with each student. The students experience wonderful literature as they learn the traits of writing. In addition, the students experience multicultural aspects of literature when they learn about various fairy tales and story elements.
Mrs. Ram teaches the scientific method during her strong emphasis on science. The students participate in many hands-on scientific experiments. Some of the science lessons include the water cycle, properties of matter, balance and motion, animal classification and adaptation, desert life, and life cycles, Foss science kits are used to promote a wide variety of hands-on experiences in the classroom. She encourages her students to participate in the annual Carden Science Fair, and they do so with great pleasure and enthusiasm.
Mathematics is taught with Saxon Math, a structured and successful math program, as well as with other supplementary math materials which includes Carden Math.
A first grade tradition is to end the year with a guided hike and picnic in Sabino Canyon.
