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Jessica Cashdollar
jlcashdollar@mcpss.com
Mobile County Public Schools
4th Grade-All subjects
Where I've Been:
I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on February 27, 1978. My father was
stationed in Hollywood, Florida at the time. He was in the Coast Guard (career,
retired as a captain in 1994), so we moved around. I lived in Hollywood for one
year, then Woodbridge, Virginia. I was there until I finished kindergarten, then
we moved to Miami, Florida. Miami was my home until I finished the sixth
grade. We then moved to Mobile, Alabama, where I've been ever since. I guess
the most interesting thing that I've experienced was the experience of moving
around. It was hard on me as a child, but it enabled me to see new places, meet
new friends, and have a varied background knowledge. Many of my students
have never traveled very far away from Mobile, so when I tell them of my
"adventures," they are full of wonder.
My Life as a Teacher:
I have teaching for four years at the same school. I started of in the fifth
grade as the science teacher, but for the last three years I have taught fourth
grade. I really like the fourth grade, but my absolute love is teaching science.
When I taught the fifth graders about food webs, we dissected owl pellets to
observe what the owls ate. In the advanced class, the girls jumped right in
without hesitation. Some of the boys, however, were a little disgusted (the
opposite of what I expected). About half way through the lesson, one of the
boys complained of an upset stomach. I sent him onto my portable porch to get
some fresh air. A few minutes later another student, who had been out of the
room, ran inside and screamed, "Brian's throwing up in the garden!" The owl
pellet had really disgusted him. About five minutes later, another boy said he felt
sick. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that looking at the skeletal
remains made his stomach hurt. I sent him out for fresh air, and he ended up
vomiting in the garden as well! The girls thought this was hilarious. The owl
pellet lesson was the most memorable lesson I've taught.
Another type of lesson that I like to teach is literature units. I read The Best
School Year Ever, by Barbara Robinson, at the beginning of the school year.
It's about a school who is terrorized every year by the worst kids, the
Herdmans. The Herdmans do all kinds of crazy things that crack up the
students. I do activities that involve making connections, writing, and analyzing
characters. The students love it, and I don't get tired of reading it.
When I'm not working:
After hours has just recently changed for me. For a little more than two
years, I spent most of my free time working on my Master's Degree. Now that
I'm done, I spend my free time watching television (I love Seinfeld,
Mythbusters, and home improvement shows like Trading Spaces and While You
Were Out), reading (I just finished Dean Koontz's The Taking), working out,
and spending time with my fiancee. During the summertime I scuba dive, go
deep sea fishing, and I also knee board. One of my favorite fall pasttimes is
traveling up to Auburn to cheer for my favorite college team, the Auburn Tigers.
WAR EAGLE!
Favorite websites:
I'm not very interesting in this area. When I'm on the web I'm usually looking
for lesson ideas. My favorite sites are Marco Polo , Illuminations, and
The Lesson Plans Page.
This is a personal homepage and does not represent the opinions of my school.
Last updated on 10/01/04.
Favorite Band or Musician: Kenny Chesney
Favorite TV show: Seinfeld
Favorite sports team: Auburn
Favorite food: Mexican
My Hobbies
I like to scuba dive, water ski, and work out. I also enjoy spending time with my fiance.
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