Amy Schaffler

I have been teaching since 2002 (many of those years have been at MCEP) and I can’t imagine doing anything else!  I have a Master’s degree in Teaching and am a National Board Certified Teacher.  I have taught first grade for most of my career and love watching my students grow into independent readers, writers, and mathematicians!  A lot of people underestimate what six and seven-year-olds can do, but they amaze me on a daily basis!

When I am not at school, I love being with my family.  I have been married to my husband, Greg, since 1994 and am the proud mother of Max and Maggie.  Max is currently attending the University of Idaho (Go Vandals!) and Maggie is in her last years at Marysville-Pilchuck.  They have kept me pretty busy, but now that they are so independent, I am figuring out what to do with my spare time!

One thing that my students (and parents) quickly learn about me is that I LOVE owls!  It all started with my love of Harry Potter and his owl, Hedwig, and just grew from there.  Owls are everywhere in my classroom–even in the nickname for my students–First Grade Owl-Stars!  A couple of years ago, a parent actually counted all the owls in my classroom and it was around 1800!  My collection has grown since then, so who knows how many I have now!

I love being a teacher in the Co-op.  My best friend is a Co-op teacher and many of my friends are Co-op parents (past and present).  I feel so blessed to be here and there is no place I would rather be!

My Favorites...

Places

I have different favorite places depending on the day and the time of year.  In the summer, I love being at my mom’s house on Camano Island.  On a random Saturday, I love going to bingo with my best friend, Mrs. Perdue.  This past November, I discovered a new favorite place–Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Orlando.  Ultimately, though, my very favorite place to be is snuggled up on my couch with my family and our dog, Brinny, watching a movie or a show.  It’s the best!

I love to shop, both for my classroom and for myself!  My favorite stores are Arlington Hardware, Amazon, and Nordstrom.  I also love secondhand stores and antique shops.

Restaurants

My favorite restaurant is Anthony’s Homeport.  You can also find me at Tres Hermanos enjoying a plate of chicken nachos.

Day Savers

I am working really hard not to eat sugar and processed carbs, which is hard for me because I love Junior Mints and Doritos!  My favorite snacks are cocoa almonds, peppered beef jerky, and popcorn.  I am a huge coffee fan!  My favorite drink is a Starbucks nonfat latte.  When I want to treat myself, it’s a Caramel Macchiato with just a little bit of vanilla.  I know I said no sugar, but sometimes you just have to!

Things for the classroom

If you are looking for something to bring for our classroom, we can never have too many snacks.  We have daily snack time and it’s so helpful to have snacks on hand for kids who forget to bring one.  Also…anything with owls is always welcome!  Just like snacks, you can never have too many owls!