About Ms. Gordon




Hello!!! I'm your fearless teacher, Ms. Gordon. Here are 10 fun facts about me. You never know when this information could come in handy...

Top Ten Facts

1. This is my 21st year of teaching!! (I know, I know, I barely look old enough to be out of college...no, stop...really!) This is my 12th year in Berlin.

2. I LOVE HISTORY!!!! In fact, I'm kinda geeky about it. So if you find something cool about history, share it with me...I'm sure I'll love it.

3. I live in Friedrichshain with my two cats and my partner Thomas. My cats names are Beirut and Candi. Beirut is from Lebanon and I found him when he was very small. Candi is from Baden-Württenburg and in the Bengali Language his name means silver.

4. I was born in Chicago on 7 February 1978. I grew up in Highland Park, Illinois, USA. From a young age, I traveled with my mother in the Chicagoland area as she worked with the circus. I first performed when I was 4 years old and I got my first training job working with white tigers when I was 20. I first rode an elephant in a performance at the age of 16. I first performed on stage at the age of 4.

5. My favorite mammal is the Asian elephant. They have great memories and make lifelong friendships. My favorite invertebrate is a dragonfly. They remind me that life is beautiful, yet short, and that we need to make the most of each day.

6. I have lived on a circus train, in a motorhome, in a caravan, in hotels, in a Swiss cottage and now in a flat in Berlin. My cousin lives on a narrow boat in England (see picture below).

7. I play many instruments including many clarinets: Eb, Bb, Ab and Bass; flute, piccolo, recorder; soprano and alto saxophone; and djembe, My favorite instrument is the clarinet. I am a clarinet player outside of school and enjoy sharing music with others. 

8. I love traveling and have to date visited 42 countries on 4 continents, and 47 of the states in the USA. I have also been on the 30th anniversary Broadway production of "Annie" and on Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: The Greatest Show on Earth. (127th, 2004 Gold Unit, 134th and 135th editions).

9. My hobbies include playing the clarinet, singing, reading, photography, hiking, playing board games, lego, learning languages, genealogy, graphic design and learning more about online teaching and learning.

10. A few of my heroes include Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Gunther Gebel Williams, John Adams, Oskar Schindler, Eleanor Roosevelt, Emily Dickinson and Dr. Seuss.

There are many other unique and interesting facts about me that you will learn throughout the school year. Remember to always follow your dreams, believe in yourself and work hard. If you do that and continue to focus on accomplishing new goals you can do anything.

Orchestras

Ms. Gordon worked in the circus. Here is a link to an article about her time there: No Clowning Around in this Classroom. Below is a short video from the 134th blue unit tour, followed by a video about the train where she used to live.
Ms. Gordon also worked on a Broadway show called Annie. Here is an article about it. Beneath is a video of her former students on Good Morning America in NYC 2006.