Lisa Cahn: 'It's a commitment to each other'

Lisa Cahn

Kindergarten Teacher

JC Crumpton Elementary School

When JC Crumpton Elementary School kindergarten teacher Lisa Cahn reflects on what led her to become a teacher, she thinks back to her early years. Lisa was a student who had a hard time learning how to read. “My first grade teacher had said she is never going to learn how to read … and I remember thinking that if I became a teacher, I would never have a child feel badly where they were because we all learn at our own pace,” she says.

This is Lisa’s fifth year at the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District and JC Crumpton Elementary School; however, she is not new to the profession having taught for 27 years. Lisa received her undergraduate degree and teaching credential at the University of California Santa Barbara and began her first year in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She also did a stint in Santa Clara County before finding her home here at MPUSD and Crumpton. Not only does Lisa teach, but she serves as an Alder teaching mentor to up and coming teachers at MPUSD.

Her students inspire her each and every day. “When I get here I am (being) greeted by little kids (that) who are so excited to be at school and excited to be learning. That is the way my day starts with the excitement of school,” beams Lisa.

She notes that her students are so responsive to her teaching and credits the relationships she has built. “I love them and I’m here for them and when you have that connection then they do what you want them to do. It’s commitment to each other.”

 

Additionally, she credits parents and guardians. “Parents are the most important thing in a kid’s life. Their family is their world so it’s really important for me that families feel safe and comfortable with leaving their child with me for the day,” she states.

Lisa loves her Crumpton family, as well as what the district has to offer. “I want to be at this school with these fun people … everyone is so nice and so supportive,” she says. She also appreciates the professional growth learning opportunities. “The fact that we have those (growth opportunities) in our district is huge … It's wonderful to be able to continue to grow as an educator and have those opportunities.” 

Outside of work, Lisa enjoys taking walks along the beach or in the forest. She also enjoys practicing yoga and even incorporates mindfulness and breathing techniques into her daily teaching.