Teacher: Mrs. Matney
I have worked for Bedford Public Schools since 2002. I taught 3rd Grade for 2 years at Douglas Road Elementary. In addition, I taught Art for 7 years at DRE. Then, I taught Art at Bedford Junior High for 2 years. It has been a pleasure being the Art teacher at Monroe Road Elementary since 2013.
I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in 2002 from the University of Toledo in Elementary Education with a minor in Art. Then I earned my Master’s Degree in Art Education at the University of Toledo in 2009.
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher. I spent countless hours as a child "playing" school. I would gather up my Care Bears and Cabbage Patch Kids for daily lessons. So a person might assume that I was a child who loved school. However, I was a day dreamer who believed she could not learn. As a child, I viewed my teachers as people who knew it all and I wanted to be just like them. I wanted to be able to complete my math assignment without crying. Thankfully, I had parents and teachers (right here in Bedford: Smith Road Elementary) who never gave up on me. My teachers' and parents' faith in me was not enough. I had to have faith in myself. My first experience with success happened in the art room. I always looked forward to art class and I drew daily at home. My constant practice nurtured my confidence and encouraged me to take on challenges in the art room. I realized I could apply this to other subjects. I didn't magically fall in love with math and science by 4th grade. With commitment and time, I did earn a membership to the Junior National Honor Society at Bedford Junior High. I used to be disappointed that I did not earn all A's and have my name painted on the famed wall at the junior high. More importantly, I learned that I may not be the "best" student but I learned how to do my best. My best, required extra hours and willingness to keep trying. Educational success is not "one size fits all." It is my goal as a teacher to tailor my instruction to help all students take on challenges at their level and discover how they can do their best learning.