NAME:
Bonnie McCracken
SCHOOL:
Ashland Middle School
CLASS:
Sixth Grade
SCHOOL PHONE:
541-482-1611 ext. 169
This is Bonnie's 22nd year teaching in Ashland, all in the sixth grade. She
is married to Tom who will again be coaching Girls Varsity Basketball at
AHS. They have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Her grandson, Dakota, will be
a freshman at AHS, his sister Jade, 9, will be in fourth grade at Bellview,
and his brother, Riley, will be in second grade at Bellview. Her oldest
grandson is a sophomore in Florence, Oregon, and has just started driving!
Some of her favorites are: the color green, the number "7", reading,
crossword puzzles, hiking, traveling, gardening, dark chocolate, and her
puppy Chloe.
Bonnie and Tom had a busy summer visiting family in southern California,
Montana, and Idaho. Two days after school was out, Bonnie took a road trip
with her granddaughter Jade through the Redwoods and down the entire
California coast, ending in Redlands were we visited my 97-year-old dear
Mother. I was home a day and then drove to eastern Idaho where I stayed for
a month taking care of my son, Nate, who had knee surgery. I took time out
there to play baseball and other games with my grandchildren, Brayden and
Holland. Tom and I and grandchildren (Jalen,9, joined us from Iowa) camped
twice on the Oregon coast and spent a week at Eagle Crest Resort near Redmond
(golfing, swimming, biking). Bonnie's best teacher workshop ever was 3 days
spent at Crater Lake with a dozen other teachers.
I'm excited to teach math and science to nearly 60 fabulous kids this year.
I look forward to getting to know them and their parents.
These are my guiding principles:
1. All kids are smart and can learn.
2. Parents are their children's primary teachers. Their attitude
towards learning and schooling strongly influences their children's
attitude.
3. Students are in charge of their learning.
4. Students enjoy learning and have a strong sense of self when they
are plugged into making learning happen, not into making excuses.
5. Order and continuity help children to manage themselves.
6. The teacher's role is to guide children to think and ask thinking
questions.
7. Children learn best then they feel safe, cared for, and respected.
