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My name is Hayley O'Reilly and I am a passionate fourth grade teacher in Downers Grove Elementary School District 58. Since graduating University of Dayton in 2013, I have been lucky enough to move back to my home city of Chicago and teach in the same district I grew up in - talk about coming full circle! I earned my masters degree in 2016 in Teaching and Learning: Differentiated Instruction from the University of St. Francis, and am currently working toward my Technology Specialist Endorsement through the same university.
As evident from my continued educational pursuits, I am very intrigued by any and all opportunities in furthering education and professional development. I find great joy and inspiration from working with and learning from others. I truly believe that collaboration is the catalyst for new, creative, and innovative ideas.

In my classroom, the ultimate goal is to challenge students every single day. When presented with challenges, students always rise to the occasion all the while developing academic, social, and emotional strategies that will help them succeed far beyond our fourth grade classroom. I love to see the children critically evaluate problems and light up with excitement once solutions are discovered. I encourage my students to make mistakes and grow from them, celebrating shortcomings and obstacles as opportunities to make us more flexible and knowledgable about our desired outcome.
I strive to find new ways to engage students in a multitude of ways - whether through artistic, scientific, technological, or social outputs, offering students the opportunity to explore their strengths and develop ways to overcome their weaknesses. The discovery and use of new materials and ideas in my classroom is always an exciting experience for my students and I. These experiences are always shared and reflected upon as we decide which ideas are the most fun or meaningful - ten year olds are never shy to express their budding opinions! Thus, this E-Portfolio was designed as a place  to share, reflect upon, and revise strategies, lessons, and activities which take place in my classroom.

Thanks for joining me in my quest for a fun, effective, and engaging fourth grade class! 

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Introduction

My name is Hayley O'Reilly and I am a passionate fourth grade teacher in Downers Grove Elementary School District 58. Since graduating University of Dayton in 2013, I have been lucky enough to move back to my home city of Chicago and teach in the same district I grew up in - talk about coming full circle! I earned my masters degree in 2016 in Teaching and Learning: Differentiated Instruction from the University of St. Francis, and am currently working toward my Technology Specialist Endorsement through the same university. As evident from my continued educational pursuits, I am very intrigued by any and all opportunities in furthering education and professional development. I find great joy and inspiration from working with and learning from others. I truly believe that collaboration is the catalyst for new, creative, and innovative ideas. In my classroom, the ultimate goal is to challenge students every single day. When presented with challenges, students always rise to the oc...

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