Hello Ravens! My name is Anna Ward, and I am the math and science teacher for the Broncos team at Ridge Road Middle School. This is my sixth year teaching in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system, and my fourth year as a part of the Ridge Road staff. I serve as an advisor for the National Junior Honor Society, and work with the Girls' track team.
A LITTLE ABOUT MY BACKGROUND: I am originally from a rural town outside of Charleston, South Carolina and attended the University of South Carolina. During my time at USC, I was a member of the marching band’s flag line and served as the Captain for the last two years. In addition to the band, I also became a member of the Delta Zeta sorority as well as a service organization associated with my major.
Right after college, I met my husband who was an aviation officer in the United States Army. After four years in four different states and multiple deployments, we permanently relocated to Charlotte ten years ago when my husband got out of the military. I am a mom to two awesome and fun kids, Sydney and Cal! In addition to spending time with my family, I enjoy a variety of hobbies such as reading, watching college sports, and all kinds of outdoor activities. My family loves to hike and camp. I am a huge Disney fanatic and Walt Disney World is one of my favorite places ever! My favorite book is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, but I am a fan of all kinds of books and I try to read as much as my schedule will permit. My family also spends a great deal of time watching college sports. During football season, we spend most weekends in Columbia cheering on the Gamecocks. My husband and I like to travel and go to concerts all over the Southeast. We love living in Charlotte and try to take full advantage of all the wonderful things the city has to offer!
As a teacher, I firmly believe in the principles of personalized, whole child instruction. In simple terms, I like to see students as individuals within my classroom and structure instruction in a way that best fits the needs of each student. My classroom is one that is student-centered and allows for exploration and discovery of academic content as well as personal growth. Students learn best in an environment that allows for choice and high levels of engagement, while high expectations and levels of rigor are maintained. I love challenging students, and I am so lucky to have the opportunity to teach these young adolescents.
Education: --UNC-Charlotte, M.A.T. in Middle Grades Science (December 2013) --University of South Carolina, (May 2000)