Content: Library
School: Heritage High
Years Taught: 23

What do you love most about teaching?
I love seeing the academic, social, and emotional growth that students make within an academic school year. I love building healthy relationships with students and seeing them graduate college, career, and citizen-ready. This is the main reason I return every year.

Why do you love working in NNPS?
I love working for NNPS because this division gives many employees an opportunity to advance within the division.

Content: Library
School: Warwick High
Years Taught: 37

What is the best way to describe your classroom on a typical day?
Teaching in the high school library is by request. Teachers reserve the library for a lesson that links to their current classroom instruction. Librarians support the LPA in 10th and 11th grade English. Science and Social Studies teachers use the library to support research and inquiry.

Content: Library
School: Woodside High
Years Taught: 24

Why are you passionate about supporting fellow teachers?
Supporting other teachers is important to me because I have learned so much from other teachers. Even after 24 years in education, I am still learning from my colleagues--new to the field and veterans. Supporting other teachers allows hands-on, relevant, real situational learning, growth, and development to happen. Being able to collaborate with, watch, and talk with other professionals in the field provides support that directly connects with your needs in the district and school in which you work. Providing support to other teachers will help everyone involved, teachers and students, get the most from their educational experiences and be the best they can be.

What do you love most about teaching?
First, I love the students. Building relationships with students has been so incredibly rewarding. I have found that the better relationships I have with students, the more learning there is for them and me. With a strong relationship, I have been able to develop more creative lessons and challenge my students more. Mutual trust is established, not just between me and students but among them, as well. The "ah ha" moments and dialogue that develops in discussions can make my day. When I see students years after having them, I am so happy to hear about their current endeavors. Because of this, every day is fun; learning is fun.

Secondly, I love learning. I learn from students all the time. To keep up with changes in education, student needs, and local and world events, I need to always be learning. This pushes me to change and grow. Being stagnant in teaching can burn you out and you could become dated and irrelevant to students. Bringing the new things you learn into your lessons will help you become a more amazing educator and help your students grow to be good citizens.