About Beth

Beth Cavalier grew up in Exeter, NH with her parents and two younger sisters. She graduated from Boston College in 1995 with a degree in Political Science. Working in a private pre-school in Connecticut after graduating inspired her to pursue her teaching certificate in special education at Westfield State College. After working in the Agawam Public School system as a Title 1 assistant for a year, she and her husband moved back to New Hampshire and she began working in Amesbury, MA as a special education teacher both in a self-contained setting and in a co-teaching model. When the opportunity presented itself, she became a general education teacher and taught a grade 2/3 loop for eight years. She is currently in her second year as a member of the fourth grade team and her thirteenth year of teaching in the Amesbury Public School system. Beth earned a master’s degree from Lesley University in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Literacy and a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies from Plymouth State University in School Leadership. She has served on various curriculum committees, the Writing Assessment Team, the Math Assessment Team and the Strategic Planning Team in Amesbury. She lives in the seacoast of New Hampshire with her husband and daughter.
Website: http://amesburyma.gov/webpages/bcavalier/
Beth has written 5 articles so far, you can find them below.

Teach Free and Thrive

Filed under General Education Topics by Beth Cavalier on April 29, 2010 at 10:31 pm {no comments}

We have all heard this… The what is in the standards … the how is up to you This is why I do what I do every day. I love the freedom in taking the standards I need to cover and making them my own, developing lessons and units that meet the needs of my [...]

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Freedom in Assessment

Filed under General Education Topics by Beth Cavalier on April 27, 2010 at 1:38 pm {no comments}

Assessment is where I am feeling the least free within the structure we have in our district. Our mandated reading and math assessments are so comprehensive and numerous that to create new, performance based assessments would be counterproductive to student learning. However, my teammates and I enjoying working within the science and social studies curricula [...]

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Freedom in Curriculum Development

Filed under General Education Topics by Beth Cavalier on April 24, 2010 at 9:25 am {no comments}

Be a part of the decision making, planning and development process. That is the best way to feel free within the ever growing structure of local, state and even national curricula. I rarely feel constrained by my district’s curriculum. Mainly because we have so much to do that I don’t have time or energy to [...]

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Freedom in Classroom Routines

Filed under General Education Topics by Beth Cavalier on April 20, 2010 at 8:45 am {no comments}

I believe classrooms need structure to thrive. Just as our own children need and want structure, rules and boundaries, so do our students. Clear expectations and reliable routines give children the security and predictability to explore, make mistakes and succeed. Constructing and reconstructing routines to meet the needs of my students and management systems that [...]

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Free Thinking

Filed under General Education Topics by Beth Cavalier on April 13, 2010 at 12:02 pm {no comments}

…When I look at this list, a structure forms. I see how I can organize my thoughts around this broad topic. This organization didn’t come to me at first, as it often does not for my students. They too need the freedom to explore and make their own connections. I, like my students, was given a mission, a goal, an assignment. I know my destination, but the journey is up to me. Freedom in structure…

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