Hi, I'm Mr. Olmsted! My students sometimes call me Mr. O; adults call me Spencer. The 2016-2017 school year will be my first year at Roosevelt Elementary, but I have been a teacher in the Olympia School District for ten years. I began teaching at L.P. Brown and then moved over to Pioneer where I was for the last seven years. All of that was in 5th grade, but I'm really excited to change gears and work with 4th graders. I absolutely know where you (student you) are headed, and I'll help you get there. I have no idea where your parents are headed, but I'm happy to help them too.
I have lived in the Roosevelt neighborhood for the last seven years, so I'm also your neighbor. And I have a son starting in kindergarten this year, so I'm also a Roosevelt parent. Pretty exciting! Before I became a teacher I was a computer programmer in San Francisco. In that job I also traveled all over the United States working at different companies for periods as short as a week all the way up to periods as long as a couple years. Interesting work, but it wasn't as interesting as a classroom full of kids. I have lived in New York (where I was born), Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, New Mexico, California, Montana, and now Washington State, where I have been for the last ten years. I have also traveled all over the world - in college I spent a semester in Zimbabwe! Anyway, I'm glad to be a part of the Roosevelt family and I can't wait to get started in September. |
Some things I enjoy...
Noticing
I am a keen observer (most of the time). I love the flow of a well-written story, the patterns in shapes and numbers, and the subtle systems and connections in the natural world. We will observe the world together and share what we notice. The group notices more than any single person: we are stronger together.
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Exploring
Whether it is mountains, beaches, or rivers, I love being in and exploring nature. The Pacific Northwest is an unbelievable playground for those who love the outdoors.
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Playing
I love to play chess. I will teach you how to play high-quality chess. For a few years I played tournament chess, and even won a couple! Also - the picture above has maybe 3 major problems... can you tell what they are?
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Also I love coffee.