Before becoming a teacher, Mrs. Watson was an active parent of highly gifted sons (now aged 18 and 21). She understands and applauds parents who have high expectations, and loves the fact that her students are natural scholars who love to learn.
She has been a teacher since 2000, previously teaching at Beckford Avenue Elementary School and in Simi Valley. A recipient of the Javits Grant, she worked directly with USC’s Dr. Sandra Kaplan and has trained teachers throughout LAUSD on how to challenge students with universal concepts of Depth and Complexity. San Jose students test new teaching techniques which Dr. Kaplan then applies to gifted programs in LAUSD and other school districts across the country.
Mrs. Watson says San Jose students often grasp and apply concepts the way high school or college students would. “You can see the difference. They get it, and they get each other. The students here are fabulous!” Not that she’s easy on them. Students often hear, “Thank you for telling me the answer. Now, show me. Prove it!” In Mrs. Watson’s class, students participate in their own teaching.
She is most passionate about math and science, especially hands-on experiments. One of her favorite activities is taking her 5th graders on the annual 3-day trip to Astrocamp. They have a blast doing outdoor science adventures together. Another highlight of San Jose is how well the three Magnet teachers coordinate their programs. “We’re a small 3-class community and we have teachers who are extremely dedicated to teaching these bright, amazing students.”
Experiment at Astrocamp
What are they pointing their spectroscopes at?
the hydrogen spectrum tube
