The start of a new school year brings new youngsters flooding into elementary schools and, sometimes, new employees to educate them.
One of those new employees is Michelle Greco, who is settling into the job of teaching first grade at Milton Terrace South Elementary School.
This is not Greco’s first foray into the world of education; she taught second grade for eight years at HL Bradt Primary School in the Mohonasen Central School District before taking a leave to stay at home with her two daughters. A native of the area, the Burnt Hills graduate has returned to live less than two minutes away from where she grew up.
Greco did her undergraduate study in elementary education and psychology at SUNY Potsdam and received her master’s in reading from SUNY Oneonta. She said that she has always known that she wanted to be a teacher.
Both of my parents were teachers, said Greco. `We just grew up knowing that school was a great place. I remember going into my dad’s high school classroom as a preschooler and being thrilled at being able to write on the chalkboard and just feel the vibe of school. Going through school I just knew that I wanted to be a part of that.`
She took a break for the arrival and early lives of her two daughters, but now that Julia is in second grade at Milton Terrace South and Karina has entered preschool, Greco said it is time to trade in her home cake-design business for a return to the classroom. She said her experience at the Ballston Spa Central School District has been positive so far.
`I knew already that it was going to be a great place to be, but to really get to know the members of the faculty and staff has really been wonderful because they’re just so willing to go above and beyond not only with the kids, but with each other,` she said.
Greco’s students are already settling into a schedule. After arriving at school, each student has a job to complete (updating the calendar, playing meteorologist or banker, for example) before attacking work on their desks. The morning is devoted to language arts, while the afternoon is time for math and special classes like gym or computer work.
`The day goes by really fast,` said Greco.
Still, the transition from half-day kindergarten to a full-day schedule is jarring for some pupils. Greco said that with this year’s implementation of full-day kindergarten, her students next year will probably be more ready to accept a longer day.
While there are always state and district standards and a curriculum to teach to, Greco said that getting the information across to students who often learn differently is the most challenging part of the job.
`Balancing what you need to teach with the developmental needs of these little people can be very challenging in the timeframe that you have during the day,` she said. `But they still love to be here, and if you can make it fun, they’re learning in spite of themselves.`
At the end of the day, Greco says she is happy to be near her origins in Ballston Spa, and is happy to give back to the area that she grew up in.
`You can do so much for the community that you work and go to school in,` she said. `There’s a lot here to offer.“