Norton Elementary

Hello 5th Grade Families!

Welcome to my 5th grade math class! I may be biased, but I think Math is the best subject because there is more than 1 way to solve a problem and often times you can check if your answer is correct by working it out in reverse (opposite operations). You get to use what you DO know to figure out what you don't know. It's more about understanding concepts than memorizing steps, and I love that. Recognizing and trusting those ideas helped take the anxiety out of math and left me feeling capable of figuring out challenging math problems. I hope all my 5th grade students fall (more) in love with math this year.

Here's a little about me: I grew up in southern California and graduated from San Diego State University with a liberal studies (teaching) degree and a minor in English.  I earned my teaching credential and Masters Degree in Education through Chapman University, and am certified in Gifted and Talented Education (AIM).  I have taught 4th and 5th grades in CA and in Texas, and I can honestly say that Norton has been the most enjoyable school that I have taught at (and the others were great!). I am thankful to work with happy and loving teachers, supportive parents and kind students. 

My husband and I have 3 awesome kiddos- Brea is a Junior at McKinney High School, Bryn is a Freshman at Lowery, and Brooks is in 4th grade here at Norton. At some point during the COVID lockdown we got bored playing board games together and decided to buy an XBOX. While I prefer to call them "digital games" when talking to my parents, I won't deny having a blast playing Cars 3, Overcooked, and Minecraft with my husband and kids. 

For as much as I love teaching, I still love LEARNING; especially when it comes to making (functional) things. Sometimes I take on things that are way over my head, like the time I decided I could build my son a loft bed after I successfully built a (small) birdhouse... I likely shouldn't have jumped into that project, but for whatever reason, challenges motivate me and there happened to be enough legit DIY videos available that I was able to design and build a pretty cool loft bed, complete with a pulley system.  My latest endeavor has been learning to 'build' things with codes/scripts. The more I learn, the more possibilities I see, and the list of projects I want to try and make grows. Learning for a purpose is the best kind of learning!

Parents-I know how precious your 5th grader is to you, and I promise to love your child like my own as I teach, enrich and challenge him/her.  I am on your side and want the best for your kiddo.  I look forward to collaborating with you to make sure your kiddo's needs are met throughout the year. Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or praises.  

Laura Kent
5th Grade Math
Norton Elementary
School Office- 972-396-6918
Laura.Kent@allenisd.org

22-23 School Supply List