Heather McGuire is an EC at Pivot North Bay. She is new to Pivot this year and teaches middle school. She has a multiple subject teaching credential from Humboldt State University.
Ms. McGuire has enjoyed her first year teaching at Pivot. She appreciates the ability to individualize the curriculum for each student. It was her goal as a teacher to be able to meet students where they are at and help them work toward where they need to be, and she is grateful to have found a school like Pivot that makes that possible. “I wanted to work in a setting where I could tailor my lessons to each student, rather than push a curriculum that is one size fits no one”, Ms. McGuire said. “That is the best thing about teaching at Pivot.”
Ms. McGuire and her family lost their home in the wildfires last fall, and she is relocating this summer to the Chico area. However, she will remain part of the Pivot family, as she will transition to teaching at Pivot North Valley in Chico. Ms. McGuire reflected, “I have enjoyed this past year so much and am very excited to be able to continue my career with Pivot. I look forward to getting to know the teachers, staff and students of Pivot North Valley.”
One of the ways Ms. McGuire has brought individualization to the Pivot classroom this year has been through week-long units in various subjects. As one example, she taught a unit on urban gardening. The students worked in small groups and planned their gardens, then presented their proposals to Ms. Clopton, Site Administrator. They are now in the execution phase of their project, whereby they will plant their gardens and have the opportunity to see their projects come to fruition. “By allowing the students to work together to plan, present and execute a project, they are learning valuable skills,” Ms. Clopton said. “Ms. McGuire is teaching them skills in collaboration and public speaking, as well as following an idea through to successful completion.”
Ms. McGuire recently went with students on the overnight Yosemite camping field trip, which she greatly enjoyed. She experienced a very rewarding moment with a student while on the trip. She recalled, “I had a student who did the 6 mile hike with me in Yosemite who had to really push herself physically and mentally to complete the hike. This is a student who wouldn’t have been able to participate in the hike just a couple of years ago due to physical limitations. But I encouraged her, and we did it together. She felt so proud of herself and let me know that I pushed her just enough to be able to do it. It was so rewarding to see the pride and sense of accomplishment she felt. Those are the moments when I’m so thankful to be a teacher.”
When she is not teaching, Ms. McGuire enjoys spending time with her chocolate lab, Woodford. They enjoy hiking and being outdoors. She also likes to quilt and needlepoint.