Celebrations for Teacher Appreciation week are in full swing at SDFAS, and our campus is
buzzing with excitement. As our week continues, we’d like to dedicate this Tuesday to focus the spotlight on one of our exceptional 1st grade teachers, Elisabeth Perdereau, whose calm, tenacious demeanor makes her classroom a perfect learning oasis for her students.
At a young age, Elisabeth’s struggle with reading became a pivotal point in inspiring her to become a teacher. Through the encouragement of her 1st grade teacher, her struggle transformed into a passion she strives to share with everyone. Elisabeth obtained a degree in English and started her early career translating French to English for newspapers. She moved to the US in 2000 and joined SDFAS in 2007 as a 2nd grade teacher. Later on, she transitioned to teaching kindergarten before settling into 1st grade. Elisabeth employs a wide range of strategies to teach and inspire a love of reading in her students. She color codes words and creates phonic devices for her students to use when reading by sounding out words. With a keen eye and a great sense of self awareness, Elisabeth confidently assures her students that adults are just as fallible as children, but teaches that mistakes are perfect opportunities for growth and discovering creative solutions. Over the years, she’s proudly seen her students learning to read and speak French, all while having fun, as they build their vocabulary and imagination.
Elisabeth’s love for reading follows her outside the classroom, and her favorite book is Que ma joie demeure (Joy of Man’s Desiring) by Jean Giono. In her spare time you can find her cultivating her garden populated with flowers only found in California and practicing yoga. She has a 20 year old daughter who attended SDFAS.
