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Laurie Wicks; Middletown, DE
 "Children
are natural scientists, and they ask a lot of great questions. They’re
not intimidated. I think as we grow older, we become intimidated, and
we’re afraid what people will think of us if we ask certain questions,
or if we give certain answers. Children are not afraid of that.”
School at a Glance:
Silver Lake Elementary School
Middletown, Delaware
Grades: K-4
Enrollment: 735
Students per Teacher: 16
Ethnicity:
80% White
16% African American
4% Hispanic
Percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch:
18% versus a state average of 40%
In college, Laurie Wicks abandoned her pursuit of a degree in elementary
education for one in business economics, which is how she started
her first career at one of the major banks in Wilmington, Delaware working
with, as she puts it, “adults.” “Even when I was majoring
in economics, I took all my electives in education — there was just
a love there,” explains Wicks. And so, while engaged in her “second
career” — staying at home with her children for a few years — she
worked to become certified for her third. Laurie is now in her
eighth year in the classroom, and fifth year teaching third grade.
Laurie
shares two homerooms with a partner, and the two of them
have developed what she calls a theme-based instruction program.
The two select a theme, and then center all math, science, English,
and social
studies instruction around it. “We’ve invented the particular
schedule and method,” explains Laurie, “and as far we know,
there ’s
nobody across the country doing exactly what we do.”
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