"WE HAVE A BUTTERFLY!"
Chavi Abramson screams with delight when she checks her kindergarten class' butterfly kit. The kids respond with screams of excitement.
"There is nothing like being able to experience the joy of learning with your students," said Abramson.
Its one of the reason why Abramson has continued to teach kindergarten at Ohr Chadash Academy in Pikesville.
"In kindergarten everything is fresh. I'm teaching students how to read, teaching them the basic fundamentals of math and language and social and emotional health."
Managing the energy levels of 15 5-year-olds is no easy task and Abramson has a ton of tricks to keep her little ones focused. She keeps her lesson plans short, incorporates a lot of movement and dance and sings songs to transition from one task to the next.
"Children remember things that they learn through song," said Abramson. "I love to sing, I play the piano. I love to incorporate music into my teaching."
Her focus isn't only on her lesson plans. It's not uncommon to see Abramson comforting a sick child, Skyping with kids who miss school or playing hair dresser.
"I really believe that children learn best in an environment where they feel cared for and taken care of outside of any academic successes," she said.
Her love for them extends beyond the school walls. She attends her students' sports games, dance recitals and birthday parties. She stays in touch with her students long after they leave her classroom.
"The real joy for me, in addition to teaching, is that they know that when they leave my classroom they're still my students, they're still my kids and I still care about them."
"When Chavi teaches, she teaches more from viewing the child as a whole person," said Aliza Mann, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Ohr Chadash.
"She's always looking for moments to celebrate, she's always looking for ways to build up her students."
Abramson recently completed her masters in Negotiations and Conflict Management, which comes in handy from time to time in the classroom. She's determined to make it all fit together and keep doing what she enjoys.
"I really love teaching and I love being in an educational system," she said. "I gain as a much as I give."
