Teacher Anne Burke Thrives at Fox Creek Elementary Posted on 10/04/2023Anne Burke can hardly contain her excitement when speaking about being a teacher. There’s no doubt in her mind that teaching is what she is meant to do - specifically at Fox Creek Elementary in Highlands Ranch.
“I absolutely love this school and the community is so supportive and involved,” said Anne. “They outwardly show their appreciation for the Fox Creek staff. We enjoy a collaborative and problem-solving partnership.”
While earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Anne attended a DCSD job fair and landed a student teaching spot at Sedalia Elementary. Her introduction to education coincided with the pandemic, resulting in juggling in-person teaching and remote learning, and then adjusting to a hybrid schedule. Her first year teaching fifth grade was during COVID, so she had even more to handle than a typical first-year teacher.
“Although I originally hoped to teach second grade, I was fortunate to become a fifth-grade teacher, which actually suits me very well,” said Anne. “With this age group, I can have deep, meaningful conversations with them during Crew Time, a student-led activity related to the school’s habits of character. As an Expeditionary Learning school, one of Fox Creek's slogans, ‘We are all crew, not passengers,’ is a reference to the fact that we are a collaborative, compassionate, and resilient unit that learns from one another and values each other as equals amongst our staff and within our classrooms. Fifth-graders also learn about the American Revolution, human rights, space exploration, and commerce culminating with a field trip to Young Ameritowne. Since one of my undergraduate degrees is in history, I feel that I can offer a deeper understanding and add value to the curriculum.
“Students bring me so much joy - I even attend their soccer games, musical recitals, and plays after school and on the weekends! Although being a teacher is financially hard, especially when considering starting a family, I’m here because of this school and community,” she said. “I’m super close with my teammates, which makes it easy to ask for help and clarification. There’s no judgment. It’s a fantastic school culture!”
In fact, when Anne got married last summer it was her coworkers who handled the set-up and tear-down at her wedding and reception, and a school counselor was the officiant!
Anne is earning her master’s degree through the University of Northern Colorado’s two-year online program and will graduate in May 2024. In her free time, Anne and her new husband, Ryan, love to take their two dogs on walks and she makes time to visit her family in Erie, Colorado. Anne also enjoys being outdoors and gardening. She loves plants.
“Anything that I can watch grow, whether it’s plants or kids, makes me happy!” she said.
