Lynch Brings Variety of Experience to Second Grade

SEELEY LAKE – Second grade teacher Erin Lynch is new to Seeley Lake, but not to Montana or to teaching.

Lynch grew up in Havre, Mont., got her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Science Education at Montana State University in Bozeman. She has taught in Bozeman, Billings and most recently in Livingston.

Her teaching career began in a two-room schoolhouse. She has also taught in a traditional one-grade classroom and math and science in a middle school setting. Additionally, she worked for six years with the Montana Outdoor Science School in Bozeman, which offers classroom programs as well as after school and summer programs.

Lynch calls getting a job at Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) "serendipity." She said she was teaching middle school but really wanted to get back into elementary. She also missed teaching science through outdoor activities but didn't want to give up the classroom aspect either. She was relating all this to a friend in Missoula and her friend said, "Oh my gosh, you should check out Seeley Lake Elementary." Lynch did and liked what she saw. One week later, the position for a second grade teacher was posted and Lynch immediately applied.

She said, "What drew me to this particular job was the focus on academics and also outdoor education to supplement that and make it integral to the education."

Each class at SLE spends part of a day twice a month doing some kind of outdoor educational activity. Lynch said she is working closely with Outdoor Ed Coordinator Bridget Laird to plan activities that are fun but also meaningful in relation to what the second graders are studying in their classroom.

Though Lynch has taught third through eighth grade students, this will be her first year teaching second grade. She said she thinks of that as an asset because she already has a good sense of what knowledge and skills her students need to have learned by the end of second grade.

Asked what she liked about teaching Lynch said, "I love how different every day is. Even though each day is structured and planned out, there's still a surprise every day – and usually a good one. Plus it's just intellectually stimulating because there's a lot of problem solving. And I enjoy helping kids, not only academically but as people."

One thing Lynch plans to introduce in her classroom is a little bit of sign language. She said, "I took an American Sign Language course a couple of years ago because I had a student who was deaf and I wanted to be able to communicate better with him."

The second grade students have already learned some preliminary signs such as asking permission to go to the bathroom or to get a drink. Lynch said instead of interrupting by raising their hands or talking out loud, students can catch her eye and sign to her.

In addition to classroom teaching, Lynch will also be helping with some of the SLE sports activities. She is already involved with the soccer program and looks forward to the winter ski activities.

Lynch said, "I'm excited for snow this winter. I've been craving it the last few years."