Meet Mrs. Kerrigan...
Welcome to my website and to my class!
I am new to KCMS, but I am so excited to be here and to work with this phenomenal team of educators. I am a first-year teacher and a recent graduate of Mary Baldwin University.
In 2014, my family relocated from Wilmington, NC to Waynesboro, VA, where I live with my husband, our two children, ages 15 and 19, and our three dogs.
A few of my favorite things (in no particular order) are birds, coffee, books, tacos, funny memes, music, football (Go Hawks!), and chocolate.
While I knew I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was in elementary school, my path to this career wasn’t as direct as I wished it to be. I was a non-traditional student and obtained all of my college degrees after I was married and raising my children. I received my Associate of Arts Degree from Cape Fear Community College in 2004, and then spent the next few years being a mom and working part-time. I even opened my own bakery during this time that I operated from my home. I returned to school a few years ago and earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Secondary Education and my Master of Arts in Teaching from Mary Baldwin University. I have been fortunate to be able to work in several of the surrounding area high schools as a practicum student, a substitute teacher and a student teacher. Even before working in the public school system, I worked with middle and high school aged students as a teacher/youth leader in a church setting. I have worked with this age group for the past 18 years.
My story...
My passion is to make sure that every student receives access to a quality education. I am determined to help students succeed, regardless of any obstacles they may face. I feel that a strong foundation in English is a necessary building block that becomes the foundation for learning in all other subject areas. I believe that every student has the ability to learn and to succeed if given proper support and guidance. My philosophy regarding teaching is that you can’t be a teacher unless you are first a learner, and learning is a never-ending process. Teachers must constantly evolve and continue their own learning if they are to be successful in meeting the needs of their students. More important than knowledge of content or teaching strategies, however, is a teacher’s willingness to be sensitive to the needs of students, and to be aware that these needs will vary from student to student at any given moment.