Hello! My name is Casey Dotzler. I am so happy to be teaching 1st grade at Jackson! I graduated from Upper Iowa University in 2006 with a B.A. in early childhood education. I also received an endorsement in K-8 reading. I began my teaching career at Des Moines Public Schools in 2006. My teaching experience includes preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade. I am so thankful to be part of the Jackson family!
Student Environment/Class Description
The one thing that I strive to provide my students with every single day is a welcoming, fun classroom, where all students feel safe, loved, and important. It is my belief that when children feel safe and loved, their confidence in learning and their willingness to take risks grows tremendously. I want all students to feel like our classroom is their home away from home where long-lasting and trusting relationships are built. Relationship building allows us to work together and learn from each other. My goal is to provide students with as many opportunities to collaborate with their peers as possible.
Hello! My name is Mrs. Garland! I teach first grade at Jackson Elementary. I have worked for Des Moines Public Schools since 2012 and at Jackson since 2014! I graduated with my BA in Education at Iowa State University in 2011 and I received my Master’s degree from Drake University in 2017. My passion is teaching and learning! I see myself as a lifelong learner and encourage my students to always seek more knowledge and understanding about the world around them!
Student Environment/Class Description
My goal is for my students to feel safe, successful, and loved in my classroom. I believe that a student first needs to feel loved before they can take the risks needed to learn and grow socially and emotionally. Every student can learn at high levels and I believe having high expectations for all students is key to students being successful. Not all students learn in the same ways or at the same pace, so I strive to build in interactive lessons that keep students engaged and adapt my teaching to meet each student where they are. Students interacting and learning from each other is critical and I foster a culture where students can do just that. The diversity at Jackson Elementary is one of its best features and my students learn to value each other’s ideas, backgrounds, and experiences while expressing and valuing their own. I want all students to meet grade level expectations, so I let the students always know how amazing their progress is and that they are capable of doing difficult things with some hard work and practice. We are a team and we celebrate each other’s successes and support each other in learning each and every day.
Hello, I’m Katie Schneider!
This is my first year teaching and I am excited to join the Jackson family! I graduated from Iowa State University and am eager to help my students grow. In my free time I enjoy cheering on the Boston Red Sox and Hawkeyes with my husband, exercising, reading, and taking my dog Millie on walks.