We are an active family who loves the outdoors. all 3 children have gone through ANS (one still is!) and I was an active member of the parent board before becoming a teacher.
Favorite childhood quotes "Play turns out to be so stunningly essential to childhood, its like love, sunshine, and broccoli all juiced together" "Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning, but capable of succeeding." Robert John Meehan
I always consider myself "eclectic" when it comes to teaching theories, I love so many of them and so many are worked into how I run my classroom. I deeply value the importance of play: social play, dramatic play, sensory play, nature play..it all helps children hold on to their curiosity while navigating their learning. I also strongly believe in the importance of literacy.
I have my bachelors in Linguistics and Speech and hearing sciences from UB as well as my Masters in Education from UB. I am certified to teach English as a Second Language K-12 as well as Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)and Childhood education (Grade 1-6)
Amy Francken has a quote from her childhood that always puts a smile on her face, “Well... we're back... in the car again,” Tim Murphy in Jurassic Park and she always goes back to a simple quote that correlates to her personal philosophy of education, “Play is the highest form of research,” by Albert Einstein. Mrs. Francken has her Master’s in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood Education and Special Education with New York State Certification in birth through sixth grade in both Education and Special Education. Mrs. Francken started working in preschools in 2000 while still in high school and that has led her to 18 years of classroom experience in a variety of settings including; Clarence Central School District, The Summit Center and North Tonawanda City Schools. ANS is Mrs. Francken’s dream job as it will allow her to continue in the career she loves while being able spend time raising her two children, Freyja (age 3) and Oliver (age 1) with her husband Daniel. Mrs. Francken is an avid bowler, Walt Disney World Vacationer, and is attempting to master her Cricut.
1. Favorite quote(s) about childhood: "Childhood is one of the most beautiful of life's seasons."(Author unknown) - "Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity." (Kay Redfield Jamison)
2. Education and Experience: BA Education, Concordia College, Bronxville, NY - 1979 MSED - Early Childhood Education, Hofstra University,Hempstead, NY. State License, - New York, Birth-Grade 2. I have over 25 years of classroom experience, from age 3 to 3rd Grade. I love Early Childhood!!
3. Philosophies: I have always been a fan of Jean Piaget - children move through stages and cannot be hurried along. I also like Howard Gardner's theories of multiple intelligences. I believe a lot of learning occurs through music/movement. One cannot underestimate the importance of reading to young children.
4. Family Life: I have been married to my wonderful husband, Tom Fisher, for almost 39 years. We have 4 grown children - Mark, Amy, Shelly, and Kristin, and 2 granddaughters. We also have 2 cats, Miko and Cleo.
5. Hobbies: I like to read, play the organ, and sing. I also like to ride bicycles and roller coasters!!
