Allyson Gulley has had one overriding ambition in her life -- to be a teacher. As the fifth grade aide at St. John the Evangelist School, she is getting the chance to live her dream.

New this year to our school, Miss Gulley is a recent graduate of Radford University, in Radford, Virginia. She earned her B.A. in liberal arts, with concentrations in history and English. She has just one math exam left to take before being fully certified in Maryland, and she expects to complete that this summer.

“I’ve always loved kids,” she said, when asked why she became a teacher. “Even in high school and grade school, I wanted to be a baby sitter. I was a nanny before I came here, and I’ve worked at summer camps. Nearly every job I’ve had, I’ve been working with kids.”

In the fifth grade class, Miss Gulley works most closely with Teresa Brogan and assists other students as needed. She tailors the curriculum for all of Teresa’s academic subjects -- modifying study guides, shortening tests, and developing interactive strategies to convey subjects. She also teaches Teresa mathematics one-on-one. 

Developing Interactive Teaching Strategies

Interactivity is a key component of her teaching philosophy, whether she’s teaching in a special education setting, tutoring students, or working in the classroom. When teaching math to Teresa, she’s turned Chutes and Ladders into a math game, created laminated Easter eggs to write math problems on, and used a real cash register and real currency to teach money concepts. 

Miss Gulley uses this same interactive approach when she tutors students. In addition to working as an aide, she tutors after school Monday-Thursday. Currently, she works with three fifth graders and one sixth grader. “If we’re working on a writing project, rather than me marking up what they have written, I’ll have them read it to me out loud. When they say it out loud, they realize where it’s not written correctly and can fix their mistakes,” she explains.

Miss Gulley hopes one day to lead her own classroom -- preferably in grade 3 to 5, and being the fifth grade aide has given her a great introduction to teaching. “I’ve learned so many new things. I’d never thought about special education before coming here, and I love it,” she said. “Working with Teresa, I have to ability to use my own talents and try out my own strategies. I also get to see what other teachers do in the classroom. It’s been the greatest experience. I love being here, and I love telling my friends that I’m a teacher.”

Miss Gulley lives in Kensington, enjoys sports and travel, and coached the second grade CYO basketball team this year.