This is the value of the teacher, who looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition, behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me.
—Maya Angelou
An effective teacher’s ability to transform a student in a positive way is inspiring to us all. It is every teacher’s goal to inspire their students to explore their own ideas, think deeply, accept and enjoy challenges, and even develop a passion for their field of study and knowledge in general. Teachers that are caring, fair, respectful, hold high standards for themselves and their students, and dedicate their extra time to their students are teachers that should be recognized. There are thousands of hidden heroes, and here are a few who inspired us.
Jennifer Moore
Jennifer Moore is a third-grade teacher who holds high standards for her students. Her students understand that they are required to transcend beyond the norm no matter what their academic or social level may be. Jennifer Moore acknowledges her third graders are young, but knows she’s preparing them for future schooling and beyond. She says, “I am responsible for motivating the students and making learning relevant to their lives. This helps students determine a career path in life.” She is a passionate educator who loves helping students grow academically and socially. She finds that helping her students develop short and long-term educational needs and goals has given her students confidence and passion for their schooling.
Dana Casey
Dana Casey is an effective teacher and an educational leader. She led the commencement of various professional development opportunities at her school. She not only leads her students to success but has also helped her colleagues excel in their teaching. Casey believes that helping students master the basics first will help them understand more difficult concepts in the future. For example, she knows the skills of reading, writing, and communication are essential for their future regardless of their career choice. By using her personal time researching and preparing, Ms. Casey has helped her students develop useful skills for their future.
Leticia Skae
Leticia Skae is a passionate immigrant teacher who has had wonderful teachers to guide her through her teaching career. Her mentors cared for her and empowered her to share that same kindness and respect to her students. With thorough planning, accountability, and collaboration with other teachers, she has given her students an amazing educational experience. After she was hired at her high school the principal told her and all her coworkers that she was hired to raise their English literacy scores. She mapped out her next year carefully and worked with teachers to raise the English EOC scores, track data across English classes, and create common core assessments. Not surprisingly, her hard and passionate work has paid off as the scores rise and her teaching improves immensely. “The best part of teaching,” she says, “is watching students grow.”
Amanda Nixon
Amanda Nixon is a math teacher whose students usually come into class loving or hating math. Ms. Nixon’s goal is to help her students to understand math, so they no longer claim to hate the subject. Her priority is to build all her students’ confidence in math by letting them and encouraging them to explore their own way of solving the problem. She wants to change the traditional teaching of procedures in math and gives her students the opportunity to express their different learning processes by differentiating math activities. She likes to have her students work in groups to solve math problems and encourages her students to present, explain, and dispute their answers, which helps them learn on a deeper level. Another intriguing aspect to her classroom is her assessments. She asks her students to assess themselves before and after going over a math concept. This self-assessment allows her to reflect on her teaching but also encourages students to be reflective about their own learning and take more responsibility over their education. By the end of her school year she rarely has any students saying they hate math.
Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. – Solomon Ortiz
CE Credits Online has been providing online professional development courses to teachers in NYC, LAUSD, and across the country for almost 20 years.