Welcome to Friends-at Home with Teacher Laura

Laura Beckley
"This year is my fifth year teaching at SCFS and my eighth as a SCFS parent. My first teaching job was adult English as a Second Language. A few years later, as a member of the pioneer class of the Washington DC Teaching Fellows program, I taught in a bilingual elementary school serving undocumented families and earned a MA in teaching at American University. I later moved to Richmond, VA to teach in another high poverty school. Like Bailey, my path to teaching is a winding one. I earned a BA in English and history at The College of William and Mary in Virginia and later earned an MFA in writing from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.I’ve traveled widely and worked as a job counsellor, in bird conservation and in grants management. My husband Lee and I returned to his hometown, State College when my eldest was a toddler. We share our house with two cats, Neko, and Heidi. When not teaching, I’m likely gardening, befriending a stray cat, or reading a book. My favorite part of teaching is the laughter. In every classroom I’ve taught in, despite struggles big and small, we laugh. Children amaze me with their boundless wonder, startling creativity, and intuitive kindness. I'm fascinated by their idiosyncrasies and their unique learning styles. I feel so lucky to spend my days with kids."
"This year is my fifth year teaching at SCFS and my eighth as a SCFS parent. My first teaching job was adult English as a Second Language. A few years later, as a member of the pioneer class of the Washington DC Teaching Fellows program, I taught in a bilingual elementary school serving undocumented families and earned a MA in teaching at American University. I later moved to Richmond, VA to teach in another high poverty school. Like Bailey, my path to teaching is a winding one. I earned a BA in English and history at The College of William and Mary in Virginia and later earned an MFA in writing from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.I’ve traveled widely and worked as a job counsellor, in bird conservation and in grants management. My husband Lee and I returned to his hometown, State College when my eldest was a toddler. We share our house with two cats, Neko, and Heidi. When not teaching, I’m likely gardening, befriending a stray cat, or reading a book. My favorite part of teaching is the laughter. In every classroom I’ve taught in, despite struggles big and small, we laugh. Children amaze me with their boundless wonder, startling creativity, and intuitive kindness. I'm fascinated by their idiosyncrasies and their unique learning styles. I feel so lucky to spend my days with kids."