Biography

Sylvia Sisneroz has been working with young children

for twenty-two years at Montessori School of Tracy. She first
began as an assistant working with preschoolers and shortly
afterwards was offered a head teacher position. During her
first year as a head teacher she was taking preschool teacher
training courses through Montessori Teacher Education
Center San Francisco Bay Area (MTEC-SFBA). Within two
years of intense training in addition to administrative training,
she obtained her Montessori Preschool Credential. During the
time of my employment as a head teacher with the school,
Sylvia decided to continue and further her education at a
nearby community college. Through the years of gaining
experience in working with young children, the school was
growing and needed another site to make room for an
elementary school.

During the planning for a new campus the administrator of the school offered a position
as an elementary teacher. By this time, she had already gained seventeen years of experience
working with young children. Sylvia accepted the position under the terms of completing and
furthering her education. Her journey continued with an intense two-year elementary teacher
training also with (MTEC-SFBA). During the training, the school opened a third elementary
class at the preschool facility, until the new site was completed. It is with the opening of the third
elementary class where she was faced with new challenges. Her transition from a preschool head
teacher to an elementary head teacher brought about new experiences in teaching. Sylvias first
year as a first-grade teacher gave her a greater desire to pursue in her teaching career. The
following year, second graders were added with the first graders. Teaching two grade levels also
came with a deeper understanding of classroom management. This became the stepping stone of
what was further down the road for her. After completing the elementary teacher training she
was accepted at Ashford University. Her studies at Ashford Universities has brought many
rewards. Not only has she gained experiences working with young children, also gained
 Biography
knowledge with the courses at Ashford University. During the second year with Ashford, the
new campus opened. In the first year of the opening site, the challenges pursued with a three-
grade level classroom. Technology became a part of the classroom curriculum and with
responsibilities and since then has managed to flourish with both teaching and technology
experiences.

The multi-grade classroom has brought many new experiences with the different learners
in the classroom. Sylvia has come to understand the different strategies to enhance the childs
abilities. Children grow at different rates and she finds it necessary to communicate and
collaborate with families about their childs growth and needs. She has made it a practice that at
the beginning of each school year assessments should be conducted to learn more about the child
and to determine what learning plan can be provided for the child to become successful. Through
experiences, observations can be very effective in learning more about childrens behaviors and
learn what knowledge they have acquired. With these observations, instructional scaffolding can
be optimized to promote a deeper level of understanding. Effective learning in the classroom
fosters problem solving. Sylvia believes that children should learn to collaborate through peer
interaction, guided and instructed by the teacher. Her great passion is to bring intellectual
learning to its full capacity and supporting development growth in each student.