Mary Roderique was born in Minnesota and grew up near Indianapolis. She attended Indiana University, where she pursued an impressive overload of credits, studying Business, Psychology, English, Biology, and Vocal Performance before joining the School of Education. After graduation, she began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher in New York City and earned her master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University.
She and her husband later returned to Bloomington for his graduate studies, where she taught first Grade and began working for Indiana Partnership for Young Writers (now called the Partnership for Inquiry Learning). After leaving the classroom, she spent eight years working in professional development. Her journey then led her to Ann Arbor Public Schools, where she initially served as a Reading Intervention teacher in 2011 before returning to her roots as a kindergarten teacher in 2014.
What initially drew you to teaching kindergarten?
I started teaching kindergarten in New York City as a maternity leave replacement sub and I was hooked. After having a lot of extensive training in literacy, I was often placed in first grade, but I think my skill set is ideally suited for kindergarten. Kindergarteners are amazing people. They like everything and will try anything. I find them to be the best company. I also really enjoy singing and making up little ditties and the Kindergarteners truly appreciate this. Kindergarteners are very earnest people and it is a privilege to spend time with them.
What’s your approach to balancing play-based learning with academic fundamentals in your kindergarten classroom?
When I first started teaching Kindergarten, I had lots of stragglers and late arrivals at the bell. I added a short Choice Time in the morning. This was a great motivator for children and families to hustle in the morning so they could have that playtime with friends. Today, we still start with choice! Kids unpack quickly to start the day, and they start their day with a chosen activity and chatting with friends. This social start helps us settle in, manage our feelings, and also supports language development.
We play hard and we work hard, too. I think the biggest ways for teachers to support academic fundamentals are first to be very knowledgeable about curriculum and content, and also to be very responsive to the learners you have. With all learning, especially kindergarteners, it is important to recognize entry points and go from where kids are. We learn things, and then learn the next part after that. Even in Kindergarten, we work hard to do our best work—not fast work. I ask questions like, “What can you do to make this your best?”, “What can you add?” and “What can you fix?” until the kindergarteners start to internalize those questions and learn how to elevate their work. Kindergarteners believe in trying their best.
We hear you’re quite passionate about Groundhog Day. What sparked this interest, and how do you make February 2nd special for your students?
It started with the kindergarten team prancing around the building asking other teachers what their holiday plans were for Groundhog Day. And each year, it just keeps getting a little bigger. One year, we made a video with Larry (a groundhog stuffed animal) that was quite charming and it went pretty viral. So we kept adding things. Now, the children even perform original music on Groundhog Day. I wrote a little song- and it’s quite an earworm. This year, we were a little disappointed with it landing on a Sunday—but next year it’s on a Monday! We learn so much about each other’s holidays and it’s nice to have an extra light-hearted day together. Kindergarteners enjoy celebrating!
Can you tell us about a particularly memorable project or unit you’ve developed for your Burns Park kindergarteners?
Groundhog Day and the 100 Museum are certainly favorites and I enjoy that this is a grade-level effort. I have had the most wonderful luck in working on some truly fantastic teaching teams in kindergarten at Burns Park. And February: That’s our busy month! We often host a Big Groundhog Day Event and sometimes the mayor stops by! Our 100 Day also lands in February and the children design an exhibit with 100 objects in equal groups. They work on these at school, so when parents see the exhibits, it is a big surprise!
What do you like about working at AAPS, and at Burns Park in particular?
My favorite part about AAPS and Burns Park are the children and families. I am also an AAPS parent and I have loved also meeting more children and families through my children’s schooling and activities. I love seeing the kids keep growing and I love to bump into them around town. Now that I’ve been here a while, I’m seeing kids graduate and that’s just the best. I like to volunteer at the Bon Voyage Senior Party at Pioneer. It’s like bookends: I see them on their first day of AAPS and also their last day.
Any tips for classroom management?
Sing. Sing like Mary Poppins!
How has kindergarten education evolved since you started teaching at Burns Park?
Some people say kindergarten is the new first grade, but I think it’s still kindergarten. Since I have a long-range perspective on kindergarten, I can roll with the changes and also keep true to what makes kindergarten unique and supportive of personal development. Now it seems like kindergarten is really the second half of Kinder and the first half of first grade with the expectations in reading. And that’s the fun part. The minutiae of phonics and reading and writing and spelling and handwriting drive my professional interest and inquiry so it’s a perfect fit for me. Kindergarteners will still try anything, so that part is the same.
How do you help prepare your students for the transition to first grade?
In kindergarten we do our best—and keep going. I think that’s the only life advice that’s needed.
Outside of teaching, what hobbies or activities help you recharge?
I love exercising- especially Pilates and dance classes, singing, watching my daughter’s hockey games, pestering my son in college via text, reading, hosting parties with my husband, and petting Labradors. We have three labs: Ferris, Daisy, and Tina. A black, chocolate, and yellow lab. It’s a full set.
What’s your favorite childhood book, and do you share it with your students now?
My favorite book is “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats. I read this book in Indianapolis and dreamed of moving to New York City, and I did indeed do that. I was so interested in the personal relationships and in Peter’s family. I remember going to the library and telling the librarian that I liked that book, and she helped me check out other books by EJK. I didn’t know it then, but she was teaching me what readers do: when readers like a book, they read other books about that character or by that author. She taught me one way to figure out what to read next.
How do you maintain communication with parents throughout the school year, and what advice would you give to new kindergarten parents?
Emails, newsletters, and pictures are my favorite ways to stay in touch. I love bumping into families at Costco or the grocery! Best advice for kindergarten parents? First, make friends with the parents in your class. I am a proud (Bach kindergarten teacher) Mrs. Patty Zeichman family (two kids—two times!) and many of these people are still our closest friends. Kindergarten is a special year to experience together. Next, there’s plenty of time for tech. Save that for later. Also, create as many opportunities as you can for your child to be independent. And last, don’t sweat the small stuff. These are magical years.
If you weren’t teaching kindergarten, what do you think you’d be doing now?
If I weren’t teaching, I’d probably be working with therapy dogs. I used to volunteer with Therapaws and I miss that.
Are you able to incorporate the school’s proximity to Burns Park itself into your teaching and outdoor activities?
We love the Halloween Parade in the neighborhood and we have our end-of-year party for kindergarten in the park.
How do you spend your summers?
In the summer, I spend a lot of time on the Huron River kayaking and at Fuller Park Pool treading water in the deep end. I write an original musical and direct it at a camp with Young People’s Theater, a local nonprofit that I really love. I also spend a great deal of time on Labrador Retriever maintenance.
What are you excited about these days?
Each day, I’m excited to do my best—and keep going.
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