Levy, Matthew S.
Matthew S. Levy
1st grade
Rm. 209
|
Teaching since: 1995
At P.S. 8 since: 2004
Where he lives: Manhattan
|
Mr. Levy grew up in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn and attended Oberlin College in Ohio, where he majored in history. He holds a master's degree from Bank Street College of Education in New York. His first full-time teaching job was at P.S. 35 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he taught 1st grade for eight years. Since coming to P.S. 8 in 2004, Mr. Levy says, "I've seen the school really come together as a community, to really coalesce as a learning environment. The kids are excited to learn, and I'm excited to be here." Mr.Levy says his favorite part of the first-grade curriculum is the non-fiction writing unit. Over the course of two months, each student writes a "How To" book; they choose topics--cats, for example, or skiing--and then write what they know about them. After they've completed that, each student then writes an "All About" book, which requires more research. "I try to teach my students to take risks as authors," he says, "to put themselves out there--which is hard for a 6-year-old, but important to learn how to do." In his spare time, Mr. Levy enjoys hiking and reading; he particularly likes the works of Eugene O'Neill. He is a member of the School Leadership Team, which meets once a month to discuss school policies and procedures.
Posted on: June 2, 2006
