School started one month ago, and there are several new teachers at Schreiber who have settled into their new positions.  The Schreiber Times caught up with a few of them to get some insight into their teaching philosophies, personalities and interests.   

Ms. Taylor Giordano, a new English teacher, previously taught at Weber Middle School during the 2020-21 school year.  Ms. Giordano teaches Freshman English, Sophomore English and STEPS 11, an alternative learning class.  Ms. Giordano graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in English Education, and taught in multiple districts across Long Island prior to joining the Schreiber team.  Ms. Giordano believes in a “student-first” philosophy.  

“I find that my approach to teaching is that the students always come first.  I always support my students and their needs in the classroom,” said Ms. Giordano.

Ms. Hailey Kleinhans, who is a new math teacher, teaches Algebra 1, Algebra 1 Plus and Algebra 2 Plus. Starting after the school year began, Ms. Kleinhans is in her very first year as a full time teacher.  

Ms. Kleinhans is passionate about teaching because of her experiences as a student.  

“The teachers I remember most left such a lasting impact on me as a student and as a person that I hope to continue to instill in my students now,” said Ms. Kleinhans.

Finally, Ms. Daniela Creighton, another new English teacher, teaches College Reading to seniors, in addition to Sophomore English, and Freshman English.  This is her fifth year teaching and she previously taught in Baltimore, Maryland.  Previously, she had only taught ninth graders, but looks forward to teaching multiple grades. 

Ms. Creighton is passionate about teaching because she believes in the power of education, and the opportunities and resources it provides young people as they figure out who they want to be,” said Ms. Creighton.

They all had different reasons for becoming teachers and have different philosophies while teaching, but they all share one goal: to make a lasting impact on their students. 

Outside of school, Ms. Kleinhans is a former athlete who coaches volleyball, basketball and lacrosse teams.  She is also a big fan of reality TV.  

“My current shows I am watching are Greys Anatomy, Big Brother, Survivor, and Dancing With The Stars,” Ms. Kleinhans said. 

Ms. Creighton loves to go on walks, listen to music, and hang out with her friends outside of school. In her free time, she is also a big reader.  Her love of reading and literature transfers well into her position as an English teacher, and she is currently reading the work of Indian spiritual leader and philosopher, Osho.

All three of these new teachers are passionate about their jobs.  Ms. Kleinhans is excited for the school year, during which she wants to see her students grow both in math and as people.  She is also looking forward to making relationships with students and staff.  

“I enjoy the unpredictability that comes with each day.  No two days are the same in teaching no matter how much we may plan.  I have always been drawn to the education field and continue to pursue this passion and love what I do every day because of it,” said Ms. Kleinhans.

To prepare her lesson plans for the school year, Ms. Kleinhans has worked very closely with various members of the math department so far.  During their shared off periods, they connect on what is working and what is not, in order to keep her students engaged and learning. 

“I constantly reflect after each lesson to see where students are at in their learning, and how I can best support them the following day,” said Ms. Kleihans.

Ms. Giordano has based her teaching style on one of her favorite Theodore Roosevelt quotes.  

“‘They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ That is what teaching is truly about,” said Ms. Giordano.  

So far, Ms. Creighton loves the energy at Schreiber, as she is used to working at smaller schools and likes the change of pace.  She is looking forward to learning from other teachers in the English department and is excited to explore Port Washington.  To prepare for the school year, she stocked up on fun supplies like post-its, highlighters, and annotation tools, in an effort to make annotating more interesting for students.  She has also re-read some of the classic novels taught in Freshman and Sophomore English.

These teachers are all excited to continue to pursue their teaching careers at Schreiber, and can’t wait to see what’s next.  It is important that they are all recognized and welcomed to Schreiber, and are excited to learn from teachers with such a strong passion for teaching.