Melissa
ELAR Lead/ RTI/SPED/Early Childhood
Hello all! My name is Melissa Kellems (Miss Melissa) and I am so excited to be working with your child here at Craniums Learning Center. I would like to tell you a little about myself so you will be more knowledgeable about who is working with your child.
I have been married for almost 40 years, coming up in July, to David Kellems. He and I have three grown children, two boys and one girl, all married, and they have blessed us with four beautiful grandchildren, ages 12, 4, 3, and 2, with only one of those, the youngest, being a granddaughter (finally)! We see our children and grandchildren often, and one of my favorite things is spending time with all of them together. I also very much enjoy reading and sewing, and would spend every day doing both if I could! I have even started a small sewing business since I retired.
I graduated from Ball State University in Indiana with a BS degree, emphasis in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Early Childhood Education. After graduation, we got to Texas as fast as we could, because all of the good teaching jobs were here! We have been in this area now for almost 40 years and we currently live in the Azle area. I taught kindergarten for one year in the Dallas ISD and decided I preferred a much smaller school setting than the huge Dallas district. I left that job after one year and we moved closer to Fort Worth. Just before school began the next year, I got a job teaching kindergarten at a school in the Castleberry School District, and it immediately felt like home. I taught in that school for 32 years before I retired several years ago. During my time at CISD, I taught in a multiage setting (Pre-K and K combined), in a Dual Language Program (English/Spanish), taught and directed Saturday School and Summer School programs with multiple grade levels, and also did after school tutoring. The elementary level has always been my love, right along with my kids and my families at Joy James Elementary. In addition, I was lead teacher for my grade level for a number of years. I developed curriculum and assessments, advocating for real learning situations. My main goal has always been to make children feel safe, secure, and comfortable in any learning situation in order to maximize learning.
My focus has always been doing whatever it takes to help children achieve their potential. I believe all children can learn. With that belief, I currently travel throughout the state of Texas, working for a professional development company, presenting workshops to help teachers work with struggling students in Reading and Writing. I advocate hands-on learning experiences for children, as I believe we learn by doing.