3rd Grade
At PS 8 since 2004
Ms. Hayes says she decided she wanted to become a teacher when she was in high school. “That’s when I realized that kids need to have strong, positive role models to move them forward,” she says. “Everyone deserves teacher support, not just the star students.” Her first teaching job was at PS 10, where she filled in for a 4th grade teacher on maternity leave. Ms. Hayes started teaching 3rd grade at PS 8 in fall 2005. “I love 3rd grade,” she says, “because the kids are at an age when they can truly begin to be independent and reflective about their behavior and academics.” Working at PS 8 is “fantastic,” she adds, “because the staff is so warm and friendly. The parents are involved and supportive, and the kids are genuinely good kids who try to succeed.” Ms. Hayes earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vassar College and a master’s degree in literacy and special education from New York University. She enjoys biking, reading and traveling, and she also loves animals: “If I hadn’t gotten into teaching,” she quips, “I might have been an animal trainer.”
