Elizabeth Cornwell

Special Education Teacher

Cornwell headshot

Email:
elizabeth_cornwell@dpsk12.net

Department(s):
Support Specialists

What is your favorite childhood book?

As a self proclaimed book worm it was very challenging to choose one book as a favorite. However, one group of books always comes to my mind…Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Almost every summer I read or listen to these whimsical texts and constantly find new things that jump out to me. I find the characters come to life and are easy to connect to at different points. We can all learn lessons from this magical world. As Albus Dumbledore says: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

What is your secret talent?

My secret talent is my cooking. Growing up with an Italian grandfather and a Virginian grandfather, as well as having a Ghanian babysitter I was fortunate to be exposed to a variety of cooking and cultures. Simply said, I love food. However, I keep my secrets to my secret recipes close ?

Who was your favorite teacher in Elementary School and Why?

This was a hard question to answer. One of the many super powers of elementary school teachers is their ability for creating students’ firsts or a-HA moments. The excitement teachers have when a student gets a math calculation or reads a new word is unlike any other experience. From a student perspective knowing that your teacher is proud of you is truly something that stays with you for life. Because of this, one of my favorite teachers ever was my second grade teacher. She shared in the joy of all her students’ successes. She celebrated the little wins and big wins which was an important thing for me as a child.

What is your favorite thing about teaching?

My favorite part of teaching is the connection I get to make with students, their families, and my school community. As I will be new to the Denver area I am really looking forward to building my relationships with students by learning about their interests in and outside of the classroom. Sharing the excitement in a sports team win with students, trying out a new restaurant a coworker loves, or going out for a hike that a parent has recommended all help me to engage with my community and build strong relationships.

What is your favorite subject to teach and why?

One of my favorite subjects to teach is reading. Providing the students with a variety of texts and genres to let them explore and go places that they have never been both in our world and to other realities or worlds is wonderful. Reading is a powerful tool that can help students to understand the world around them. Books can be a way for students to connect with different cultures and communities.