“The best teachers are those that show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” -Alexandra K. Trenfor
Deirdre Davis’ career as an educator started at the age of 9 helping her mother set up her classroom and grade papers at their kitchen table.
In 2002, Deirdre earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from California State University, Fullerton with the plan to substitute teach before applying to the Master’s in Education program at PLU. Between her bachelor and master’s degrees she substituted in the Steilacoom School District. Before graduating from PLU, she applied and interviewed to teach on Anderson Island just before she was hired to teach art at Ferrucci Junior High in Puyallup. However, her dream was always to end up teaching in this special little town on the sound.
After 13 years of teaching art and serving as an on-time graduation specialist in the Puyallup School district, an opportunity at Cherrydale came up August of 2019. Although she thought teaching 3rd grade could be a bit out of her comfort zone she became a Cheetah and quickly grew to adore the littles. She taught at Cherrydale through Covid years, renewed her National Board Certification there, and this year made a move to Salter’s. Her elementary classrooms are described as welcoming, supportive, respectful, inclusive, and safe spaces where students are collaboratively sharing their thoughts, taking risks, and confronting challenges in their learning through her arts integrated lessons. Her favorite aspects of being an educator are: building relationships with her students and families, seeing the growth of each students academic, social, and emotional selves, and of course, dress up days!🤣
Deirdre Davis can’t imagine being a part of this calling anywhere else!After 22 years of teaching, she’s blissfully educating here as she lives the dream in Steilacoom…
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
-Pablo Picasso
Deirdre Davis 
