Hey Teachers… are you feeling appreciated yet?
Already this week has been filled with an abundance of thank you notes, breakfasts, and kind words… not only from my students, but from our PTA and amazing parents, too (and it’s only Wednesday!). I feel blessed to have a job that allows me to give back everyday, a job that pushes my boundaries and allows me to grow everyday as a person. Working with students is rewarding in itself, but hearing the words “Thank you for teaching me to read!” really just makes my heart melt. The students are the reason I walk through the doors of my classroom every morning. I appreciate THEM, along with all the teachers I’ve worked side-by-side with for the past five years!
Thank you to everyone who entered my Shoe-ly Amazing Teacher Appreciation Giveaway. The nominations are in and a winner has been selected! As I mentioned in the details section of my giveaway post, I am sharing all the nominations here on my blog! The stories you shared were inspiring, and it was so much fun to read how teachers around the world are making a difference!
Nominations
Here are the names of the teachers nominated and the reasons that they’re being spotlighted:
- I nominate Ann Taylor! – She has been my children’s GT teacher and they have enjoyed working with her. She introduced me to Donors Choose and I have been able to get 3 projects funded through this. - Connie Debes
- I nominate Sherrill Adamo! — Sherrill and I are were team partners for my first three years back in the classroom after I had been out for seven years raising my small boys. She inspired me to jump in head first, and provided the support I needed to make a successful transition. I never would have made it through those trying times had it not been for her encouraging words I received daily!! – Wyn Mims
- I nominate Kathy Koop! — Kathy is a great example to those around her. She is the most patient and caring teacher that I know! I have learned so much from her! – Jonalee VanDerHart
- I nominate Meg Zerhusen! — She is a great mentor and friend! – Mary Ellen Zerhusen
- I nominate Casey Ford! – My wife is a first year teacher at our local school. While she has had some trying moments, she continues to work hard every day in trying to make a difference in the lives of those she sees every day. – Steven Ford
- I nominate Kelly Thompson! — Miss Thompson is the HomeEc teacher at the middle school my children attend. My children think the world of Miss Thompson. They have learned so many things from her. She is one of their favorite teachers and they smile every time they speak of her. – Donetta Boothe
- I nominate Linda Frye! — Mrs. Frye has been a dedicated, loving teacher for 32 year. She cares for her students and does many extras for her school and students. – Robert Frye
- I nominate Debbie Szczepanski! – She taught my children with such care and compassion! Now she is the principal at the school and leading it im great directions. – Michelle Kostek
- I nominate Kim Hollingsworth! – Kim is an amazing teacher that truly loves her students (including one of mine that she taught a couple years ago). She works hard to meet their needs, teach all of the standards, and make sure all of her “kids” know that they are loved, cared for, and safe. – Allison Baker
- I nominate Tara Drennan! – Not only is this teacher a good friend of mine, but she has taught me so much about what it means to help my students. I know I can go to her with any question and she is willing to take the time to listen, help, or do whatever to assist me. She works with all of the teachers in our school, and is absolutely wonderful! – Cherie Acevedo
- I nominate Michelle Kronmann! — Mrs. Kronmann is my son’s honors’ reading and language arts teacher currently. My son has ADHD and mild dysgraphia, but is highly gifted. He often has difficulty with processing when writing. Mrs. Kronmann genuinely cares about him. She gives gentle prods and encourages him daily. She is extremely patient and has brought out some amazing leadership qualities in an introverted child. He greatly admires her and has made outstanding progress thanks to her efforts. She definitely brings out the best in her students while teaching them with high expectations. – Lisa Yoder
- I nominate Jamie Harshberger! — Jamie and her family have several very serious health concerns currently being battled within their immediate family. Yet despite the seriousness of these issues, Jamie stills comes to school everyday with a smile on her face and a mission to bless others. My dearest, and last living, grandmother just recently passed away; when I shared my grief with Jamie, she held me, shared my tears, gave me a big hug, and then went and had a chat with my students about how they had to take care of me that day! Jamie gives that same type of genuine caring to her students, helping them to learn, not just their academics, but that each of them is a special gift to the world. Such a blessing, deserves to be blessed as well. – Kimberlee Fox
- I nominate Staci Mullins! — Staci agreed to move from teaching “K” to PreK this year. She went in with the fear of the unknown (prek) and a lot of doubt if this would be the right fit for her. It wasn’t long until everyone could tell this was nothing but a blessing from Heaven for her and her students. I firmly believe it takes a gift to teach PreK and K and a lot of hard work. Staci has that gift. I am a Intervention teacher and worked with Staci for 2 years before she moved to Kinder. I saw first hand how hard she works on helping all the students she come into connect with as well as go over and above the call of duty. I feel totally blessed that Mrs. Mullins was my granddaughters first teacher and as made school a place she loves to be. – Joan McNeil
- I nominate Sarah Blomstrand! – Sarah is an amazing kindergarten teacher. She teaches kindergarten and does amazing things with these little children. As a colleague I have learned so much from her. – Jamie Schremser
- I nominate Jamie Schremser!– Mrs. Schremser is our kindergarten to second grade gym teacher. She is constantly on the go (and on her feet!). She is most deserving of this prize for not only her ultimate passion for teaching, but for sharing her infectious energy and dedication to a healthy lifestyle with others. Already she has instilled a love of fitness and healthy foods in our children and I am honored to not only call her a colleague, but an inspiration and friend as well! – Sarah E. Blomstrand
- I nominate Karen O’Donohue! — Mrs. O’Donohue has been at St. Petronille for 30+ years. And when you hear of a teacher being at one school so long, you might think that things in their classroom might get a little, well, stale. Not with Mrs. O’D! I first met Mrs. O’Donohue when I began student teaching with her 7 years ago. She was (and is!) an amazing mentor. She worked me hard but I have learned so much. I went on to another school after that, but continued a relationship with her as a friend and colleague. I left that teaching job and came back to St. Pet’s as Mrs. O’Donohue’s assistant. We have been working together for the past 5 years and in that time she continually transforms the 3rd grade. She is technologically savvy, up to the minute on current teaching practices and progressive to the extent that she was using the Common Core standards BEFORE they were standards! She gets the kids to dig deep and think outside the box. Her classroom and lesson plans are always in fluid motion. Mrs. O’Donohue’s teaching style is cool and casual, yet maintains a disciplined classroom with love and respect. I am honored to work with her. – Beth Atkinson
- I nominate Lisa Armstrong! – She has been an inspiration and an example to me on so many levels, but mostly as someone who loves Jesus with her whole heart and lives that way. She has been a very influential figure in my life because of her kindness and her faith in me. – Elena Volovich
- I nominate Matt Bonson! — My husband teaches 5th grade and is one of 2 male teachers in his 600 student elementary school. I think it is so important for children (especially now-a-days) to have a respectable male figure in their lives to look up to. My husband’s job may be to teach the children curricular material, but his influence on them extends far beyond the school day. – Rachel Bonson
- I nominate Tina M Dupuis! — I’m nominating myself. I’m a second grade teacher. I love teaching and find it a challenge every day. Kids are wonderful to work with and teaching them a huge responsibility. – Tina Dupuis
And the winner is…
(Isn’t this random name picker awesome? It’s from ClassTools.net. I love that it’s an interactive slot machine where students can pull the level on a computer or SMARTBoard and help select a name!)
Congratulations, Sherrill!
Sherrill Adamo (the nominated teacher) and Wyn Mims (the teacher who nominated her) will BOTH be receiving a pair of Dansko Jenelle sandals. (NOTE: I’ll be emailing the winners to work out shoe sizes and shipping details. The prize will be coming directly from Dankso.) Sherrill & Wyn — I wish you many miles of comfort in these shoes!
Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination and participated in this giveaway! The nominations I received reminded me of how special teaching is and how much of a difference teachers can truly make… not JUST in the lives of children. Thank you to Dansko, for making this giveaway possible!
A Quick Reminder…
Just a reminder, the TeachersPayTeachers and Teachers Notebook websites are both holding sales this week. (Learn more about these great sales and the discount codes available in my post from Sunday!)
Although I create products, I am a forever on the hunt for great resources too! I just completed my shopping spree and am excited to try out all my new products. Check out these great One Breath Boxes I just purchased this afternoon from DK Coleman! She offers the first 50 Fry words for FREE, but has a set for Fry Words 1-300, 300-600, and 600-100 in her store. My students loved the free set, and we just had to have the full set!
Feel free to comment on this post if you come across any AMAZING resources! I’m always looking to fill up my wishlist and share great resources with others!
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Happy Teaching!
