MOUNT VERNON – Casey Marteney surely is doing something right in her first weeks as a teacher in the Knox Educational Service Center’s (ESC) preschool at the New Hope Learning Center.
“One mother told me that her son can’t wait for the weekend to be over so he can return to our class,” Marteney said, smiling.
A graduate of Northmor High School, she received a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Grand Canyon University where she is working on her master’s degree.
Marteney did her student teaching in the Galion City Schools, where she worked in preschool and first-grade classrooms. She acknowledged that it’s a bit of a long drive from her home in Bucyrus to Mount Vernon but said the opportunity to work in the ESC preschool is well worth it.
“I have always been interested in teaching preschool as a career. I never really considered anything else,” she said.
Marteney and assistant teacher Amy Calkins have 12 children in their morning class and 12 others in the afternoon Monday through Thursday. Preschoolers range from 3 to 5 years old.
“Building relationships with the children is so important and I am very passionate about creating a caring, fun learning environment,” she said. “Preschool is the first step in building a strong foundation for future success in education.”