This week, Esther Cross, a Kindergarten teacher at Mitchell Elementary School here in Albuquerque was selected as the National Teacher of the Year. Her work over the past 4 years with students and their families has been outstanding. According to Amanda Stoddard, the principal at Mitchell, Ms. Cross "truly cares about her students and their families. She is constantly reflecting on her methods and striving to make her classroom a safe and inviting environment where children are free to learn."
Ms. Cross's background in early childhood education helps her understand how her young students learn. She is an advocate for active learning, specifically through play. Not only does she believe this makes learning more enjoyable for her students, but it makes it more real for them. They are able to practice reading, writing, math and science skills through intentional playful activities. One of her students, Caitlyn, said, "I like school! I know it's always going to be fun!" But Caitlyn's mom knows that Caitlyn is learning all day. "Ms. Cross is very good at communicating with us about what is going on in the classroom and how our kids learn through each activity. She also gives us tips on how we can do playful learning at home!"
Ms. Cross is very excited and humbled to receive this award. "It's not just for me," she says, "It's for all the teachers I work with and collaborate with on a daily basis. We share ideas and support each other for issues like curriculum, student behavior, and anything else we may need." Lacey Gassaway, one of Ms. Cross's fellow teachers at Mitchell, believes that Ms. Cross is the perfect person to be the Teacher of the Year. "She fully deserves the recognition for all her hard work she does preparing meaningful lessons for her students. I learn so much from her and am so grateful to be able to work with her on a daily basis."
Esther Cross is New Mexico's first teacher to be named Teacher of the Year, and hopefully she won't be the last. Until then, she will be an inspiration to students and teachers right here in Albuquerque and the rest of the nation.
Good work in incorporating what we have learned thus far in the context of your article. Safety, fun active learning, collaboration with parents, teachers and others. preparation and hard work emphasized which can never be overlooked.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on a job well done, what did you win?
Simple elegance in a piece like this and the humility that spews forth is the real essence of teaching and watching growth. Don't ever lose that feeling, I truly believe that it is the loss of that empathic and humanizing factor in instructors that causes us to fall into mediocrity. If we can keep the awareness that what we become as teachers is related to our relationships with students, parents, principals and fellow teachers, your point that success comes from a team that communicates is paramount. Very succinct and newsworthy.
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