nice to meet you
I’m Michelle
Hi teacher friend! Welcome, I am so glad you are here! I am Michelle, the author behind Apples and ABCs. After teaching for over a decade, I’m thrilled that I can be your online teacher-bestie, sharing tips, tricks, and resources for your primary classroom. Make yourself at home and I hope you leave here feeling inspired and excited to teach your young learners!
Education + Teaching Experience
Let’s take a walk down memory lane… My love for teaching started my senior year of college. I was studying Business Administration, and suddenly realized I wanted to be a teacher. I graduated with my B.A. in Business Administration from Vanguard University in Southern California and then dove right in to get my Teaching Credential and Masters in Education.
I immediately got my first job teaching a 1-2 combo class which was insanely challenging for a first year teacher. Teaching a combo AND the responsibility to teach students how to read?! I was lucky enough to have my first job at the same school as one of my best friends and we figured out the first year of teaching together.
Over the 10+ years I’ve spent in the classroom, I taught in public schools, a private school as well as overseas in Cairo, Egypt. The grades I have taught include TK, Pre-K, K, 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade… with Kindergarten being my first love!
all about Apples & Abcs
I started Apples and ABCs my 5th year of teaching and used it as a creative outlet to showcase fun ideas that I was doing in my own classroom. It quickly turned from me sharing ideas, to me sharing my curriculum that I was making and using for my own students. Fast forward a decade and I am now out of the classroom and running this formal website that includes a store, website, and monthly membership for teachers called The Enchanted Little Learning Corner. It has been interesting watching my passion for teaching evolve from being an educator of students to a resource, support, and educator of teachers. Along with making curriculum, I love sharing my ideas, experience, and resources in a professional development form by speaking at educational conferences as well.
meet my fam
I live in Southern California with my two kids and husband. It has been an incredible experience becoming the mom of the students IN classroom in addition to the teacher OF the classroom. My children are in preschool and primary school and as a family, we have been blessed with amazing educators teaching them. My job right now consists of trying to balance working from home and being the best mom I can be to my kids, while also keeping date nights on the calendar and practicing self care (AKA- solo Target runs).
my goal
My goal for Apples and ABCs is to be a support for Kindergarten teachers to find ideas, curriculum, and resources that can make their life easier as a teacher. I truly believe there is no grade more magical than Kindergarten. The students come in barely knowing their letters and leave writing multiple sentences. That is because of teachers like YOU.
