Hello There!

I'm Miss Kim and I am a special education teacher here at the Early Learning Academy. This is my 3rd year teaching in the district and I am excited to continue working with the amazing preschoolers that come through our building. I graduated in 2010 from Wichita State with my first Bachelor's degree in Communications before returning to school in 2017 to pursue a 2nd degree in Early Childhood Education from Fort Hays State. Prior to teaching in Spring Hill, I worked as both a paraprofessional and spent some time substitute teaching in neighboring districts. When I am not at school, I am at home spending time with my two boys, Hunter (9) and Asher (5), my husband Jeff, and our 2 dogs, Ghost and Gizmo. We moved to Spring Hill back in 2020 and have enjoyed getting to know the community so far. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, hiking, watching Chiefs football, crafting, and spending time with family and friends.

As an educator, I believe that every student is unique and has their own strengths as well as areas where they need support. I strive to tailor my instruction to meet each student where they are at in their learning journey to help ensure that everyone is successful at school. I believe preschool helps form the foundation for our students' future schooling by providing them not only with academic knowledge, but also with social/emotional and school-readiness skills they need to be ready to enter Kindergarten when they turn 5. 

Throughout the school year, I will be pushing into your students' classrooms to help support them in the classroom environment. I work closely with our amazing classroom teachers and we often utilize a co-teaching model to help students learn and practice new skills. At times, I may also pull students into my classroom to either work one-on-one or with a small group for extra practice on a particular skill or goal. 

The progress we make in the classroom is not possible without the vital partnership and support from our students' families at home. In light of this, I would love to hear any input that you may have regarding your student's individual learning style or needs so that I know how to best support your child at school. Please always feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have at 913-592-7149 or poffinbargerk@usd230.org.