My
name is Katie Laird and I love to teach "tikes"! I am
originally from
Buffalo
,
New York
. My education started in the Hamburg
School District, from there I went on to receive an Associates Degree in
Business Administration at Paul Smith's College in Lake Placid, New York.
I then transferred to
Syracuse
University
to complete my Bachelor's Degree in Early
Childhood Education & Family Studies. After a summer in
Colorado
, I returned to
Syracuse
University
to receive my Master's Degree in Elementary
Education. I substitute taught in five counties of the Adirondack
Mountains for two years before getting my first full-time teaching job in
Tully, New York. There I taught a K/1 multi-aged classroom for two years
before my desire to live out west got the best of me. Again I moved to
Summit County
,
Colorado
and began substituting. After two
years and no job openings in
Summit
County
, I made the move to beautiful
Montana
. I began working for Big Brothers
& Big Sisters of Park County as the co-coordinator of the In-School
Mentoring Program in
Livingston
. We matched up 80-100 local high
students with elementary students for tutoring in math, reading, and
fun-n-games! I began teaching at Arrowhead in the fall of 2001 as the
Kindergarten teacher. My second year at Arrowhead I also started running
the Preschool Program two days a week. I have received an abundance of
education and training in the field of reading research since I began at
Arrowhead that gave me the wonderful opportunity to be a presenter at the
Kindergarten
Academy
for the state of
Montana
in June of 2004. I look forward to
sharing my knowledge and fun personality with the young children of
Paradise
Valley
for years to come.
My interests include traveling, horses, skiing and crafts. I am
passionate about music/dancing, the mountains, and laughter! Above all
else, I enjoy my 3 year old son Jackson and his discovery of the world around
him. I feel very fortunate to expose him to all that
Montana
has to offer!
