KERRI SHEPPARD
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Education:

BS in Kinesiology with all level teaching certificate in Physical Education and a secondary teaching certificate in Biology from Texas Women’s University

Started at The Common School:

2020

Outside interests:

Spending time outdoors with family and friends (hiking, running, rock climbing, and waterfall chasing); cooking seasonal and yummy meals for those I love; Reading anything I can get my hands on; and spending time in quiet reflection in my little yoga corner.

What brought you to The Common School?

My first experience with  The Common School was as a perspective family, and honestly, from the moment we walked onto campus we knew we had found the educational home for our son!  During our tour, I was impressed with the sense of independence in learning that was fostered in each classroom from the Nurseries through Elementary II. The Common School’s mission surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion as well as their philosophy regarding how children best learn, drew me in first as a parent and then again as an educator when there was an opening for a Physical Education teacher. To be able to work and teach at the same school we fell in love with for our son has been a wonderful blessing for our family. I proudly wear both “hats” on a daily basis.

Tell us about a favorite teaching moment at The Common School:

Any moment that I can experience, witness or be an integral part of the unrestricted, imaginative play that happens in the Adventure Yard, the Backyard, or the Big Field is my favorite teaching moment. Luckily, I catch a glimpse of that almost daily! Whether it’s watching as children take appropriate risks by climbing trees, walking across balance beams and stumps with a sense of confidence that is all their own, or it’s witnessing the joyful play happening in a game of football on the Big Field, or catching a glimpse of a group of students serving up a “delicious meal” at the mud kitchen in the garden, I always walk away with sense of gratitude that I am able to be a part of the magic that is The Common School.

What do you like best about The Common School?

The educators! The Common School’s faculty and administration encompass the mission and philosophy of the school in such a way that creates the “magic” that is The Common School. They are the reason that my son jumps out of the car in the morning and runs, joyfully up the path to his classroom. They are the reason that my son exclaims with deep love and pride that, “This is MY school!” The love and dedication the faculty and administration give to The Common School can be felt the moment you step foot on campus and we wouldn’t have the space we love without them.