First grade teacher Charity Schmiedl's excitement shows on her face when she talks about the first month at her new school, Alston Ridge Elementary.

Schmiedl, who has taught for over 15 years, had thought about taking a little time off. But when the opportunity came to follow her former principal, Frances Venezia, to a new school, she couldn't turn it down.

Q: Your background is in special education, though you have also spent time teaching kindergarten and first grade. How has special ed affected your teaching? Because of teaching special education, where I worked with severe emotionally challenged children between kindergarten and sixth grade, I see every child as an individual. Instead of expecting every child to fit into a mold, I naturally see every class full of students as diverse.

Q: What is the best part of helping open a new elementary school?

With an established school, there is a set picture - a painting already created that you have to fit into, add color to where you can. But with a new school, instead of being confined to adding color, you can press clay onto the canvas or add foil, or create a 3D wire structure. At a new school, people are more open to new ideas, and you can be part of building the picture.

Q: What is the biggest challenge in starting at a new school? There isn't anything I would have done differently than if I were at an established school.

One benefit was that everything was brand new. I used that to my advantage. I asked the students to help me open the bags of math manipulatives or wrapped books and explained that these were new items. They were the first ones to use the materials, which gave them a level of respect and made the whole experience more authentic.

Q: Other than teaching your students, what is your role at Alston Ridge? I'm very big into technology. Last year, I spent some time training teachers at Farmington Woods [Venezia's former school] on Promethean Boards [interactive white boards].

I try to help teachers new to the technology see that students like it when teachers learn, too.

Here at Alston Ridge, I have arranged for a Promethean consultant to come and help out, and I've worked with a few of our teachers. One way I use mine is, if I am working with a small group, a few of the other students can stay engaged by working on activities at the board.

I'm also the grade chair for first grade, and I'm on the personnel committee.

Q: In your opinion, what is the most important quality for a first grade teacher to have? I think it's so important for teachers to remember that a child has so much to offer. We as teachers aren't here to just load them up with information. Children are inquirers; they are knowledgeable. My role is to let them know we'll investigate and problem-solve together. Maybe a child wouldn't solve the problem the way you taught them, but they may solve it in a different way.

Q: What is your favorite part of the first grade curriculum? My biggest love is math. I really like reading, but I've always loved math. Maybe I'm just a linear thinker.

Math is a great opportunity for teaching across-the-board problem-solving. Math is not worksheets--it's about how you attack problems.

Q: In the early grades, teachers often talk about community helpers. When you were in first grade, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher. We had a copier in the basement, and I made worksheets. It's so funny, because I don't like worksheets now!

My junior year in high school, I was visiting universities thinking that I wanted to go into architectural engineering. But something didn't feel right. I realized what I really wanted to do was teach.

Q: What is the biggest lesson your students have taught you? Everyone has something, even the toughest kids I worked with in special education. You just might have to dig a little.