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| Teacher's LoungeTip IdeasSample Teaching TipsWall of Fame | ||||
 Beth McClelland (our K-2 grade specialist) teaches kindergarten at Twin Creeks Elementary School in San Ramon, California. She has a BS in Nursing from University of California at San Francisco and was a pediatric nurse for 17 years before she became a teacher. She carried her passion for working with children into the teaching profession and is a life-long learner. Her teaching credential is from St. Mary’s University in Moraga, California. She has received multiple awards and recognition; including being nominated several times for Disney Teacher of the Year, has twice been Twin Creeks Teacher of the Year, was Teacher of the Year for San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Realtors’ Marketing Association Award for Exceptional Achievement in the Teaching Profession, and was Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year 2004-05.Besides extensive work in kindergarten Beth has had a range of teaching experiences over the past 16 years. She has taught first-grade, multi-age K-1-2 class, bilingual primary grades and has looped with K-1 classes. She is a leader at her site and in the San Ramon Unified School District; mentoring and coaching kindergarten teachers, teaching writing and math workshops, developing curriculum, modeling lessons for teachers and district administrators, developing district wide report card and assessments and participating in K-12 curricular development and piloting curriculum for the district. Beth lives in the San Ramon Valley with her husband Joe. When not working with her 5-year-olds, she loves to garden, golf and spend time with her family… especially her 3 grandchildren.  George Mathiesen (our 3-5 grade specialist) has been a California public school teacher and principal for thirty-four years. His elementary school was identified as a California Distinguished School and received the International Reading Association's "California Exemplary Reading Program Award." Now in retirement, he is a Lecturer and supervises student teachers at Santa Clara University. He earned his doctorate at the University of the Pacific, and has presented at local, state, and national conferences. George volunteers within his community, serves on community and non-profit boards, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the National Meningitis Association. He and his wife Trudie, along with children and grandchildren, reside in Northern California. He enjoys cooking, camping and fishing.  Ms. Paz-Rumore (our 6-8 grade specialist) has been a teacher for over nine years. Prior to becoming a teacher, she spent a dozen years as an attorney. She attended Chapman University for her teaching credential. She also attended both American and Georgetown Universities while obtaining her undergraduate degree and then later attended Boston University for Law School. While in college she competed in Forensics (Speech and Debate). She has been a Congressional Intern, worked for Congressional Quarterly and the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars. She is also a member of the American Academy of Achievement. She is fluent in the Spanish language and studied Portuguese and French for many years. She has lived abroad and traveled extensively throughout the world having visited well over 35 countries. Ms. Paz-Rumore brings with her a unique passion and high energy for teaching and inspires students to stretch their capabilities, to learn about themselves, the world, history, and inspires them to do their personal best. She has been twice nominated for the Disney Teacher of the Year Award. She is the Middle School and High School Dean of Students at The Quarry Lane School. She teaches Social Studies and Leadership.  Tom McMahon (our project coordinator) is an internationally published parenting expert who has collected more child-rearing tips than anyone in the world. He and his team of authors are now using this expertise to collect the cleverest teaching tips from across America and Canada.As an educator, Tom has experience at the elementary, junior high, senior high and college levels, including 32 years as a professor of counseling and psychology. His passion is developmental psychology. In 1975, he implemented a highly successful grammar school program called "The Listening Center" (T.L.C.) where students with behavioral issues were sent to a counselor instead of the principal's office. Tom is the author of two bestselling parenting books: "Kid Tips: Proven Childcare Tips from Experienced Parents across the Country" and "Teen Tips: A Practical Survival Guide for Parents with Kids 11-19," and his children's book "Orient: Hero Guide Dog of the Appalachian Trail."He is a frequent guest speaker and a consultant to businesses and corporations. He has been the national spokesman for General Motors' teen driver education program, for Microsoft's "Games for Windows," and for Hollywood Video's "Game Crazy"; and has presented workshops for Toyota, Amgen Corporation, Mitsubishi Motor Company and Universal Studios. He has appeared on "Oprah," "Good Morning America," "CNN" and over 140 TV and radio shows. He also writes a nationally syndicated parenting column titled "Kid Tips." Tom resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Nancy, who recently changed careers from a law practice to teaching second-grade. Their two adult daughters are in college. |
