Teacher of the Month - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

March 2021 Teacher of the Month

growingupsc — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:33:46 +0000

Ashley Gibson Cabrillo COllege Cabrillo College student Amanda Hampson nominated our March Teacher of the month in the following letter: I want to nominate my teacher Ashley Gipson. Ashley Gibson is a teacher at Cabrillo College and teaches several classes for the accelerated medical assisting program. She’s made this difficult time more manageable with her patience, understanding, and willingness to listen to any problems. She makes understanding the class material easier and explains everything in a way everyone can understand. When I was struggling with my mental health, she got me the resources I needed to get help, and because of that, I’m able to continue my path to the career I want more than anything. I feel like she cares for her students, and it’s not just a paycheck. It’s hard to put into words all the ways she’s helped us, and she deserves this more than any other teacher I’ve known. Thank you for the opportunity to show my appreciation for this fantastic teacher. We met up with Ashley at Cabrillo College and chatted about her experience teaching. She started working in the field and had the opportunity to become an instructor through the Red Cross; in 2016, she began teaching at Cabrillo. Ashley says, “My favorite part about teaching in this program is seeing the students grow and evolve, not only as a student but as a person. It is amazing to be part of that process.” Thank you, Ashley, for making a difference in your students’ lives. Teacher of the Month is a monthly feature in Growing Up in Santa Cruz. We honor local teachers based on your nominations. Send your nominations to christy@growingupsc.com

The post March 2021 Teacher of the Month first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

February Teachers of the Month

growingupsc — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 17:31:38 +0000

The Pinnacle of Dedication A tribute to the Mount Madonna School Faculty by Christine Smith As we wind down 2020 and welcome 2021 with cautious optimism, I tip my hat to a group of individuals who are as good as it gets, and maybe even better: the faculty at Mount Madonna School! Blessedly, our world is full of good – good art, good innovation, good people. So, when it comes time to recognize a person for their contributions, the choice can be tough. Look at Time magazine, which has often chosen a group of individuals rather than just one person for its coveted recognition as “Person of the Year” – the American soldier in 1950 and 2003, U.S. Scientists in 1960, and American women in 1975, to name a few. As we wind down 2020 and welcome 2021 with cautious optimism, I tip my hat to a group of individuals who are as good as it gets, and maybe even better: the faculty at Mount Madonna School. I’m a long-time parent of a student at Mount Madonna School and a member of its Board of Directors. Nevertheless, I find myself overwhelmed by the skill, commitment, and love demonstrated by this group of educators during the Covid crisis. In March of 2020, when in-person teaching pivoted to online instruction, the teachers at Mount Madonna took a collective breath and had our students engaged online essentially overnight. Then, when it became evident the Fall semester would not begin with instruction as we knew it, our teachers shifted to outdoor instruction (yes, they teach outside) in the open-air classrooms the school constructed, taking advantage of its mountain-top setting. Then, as Covid numbers rose and learning temporarily pivoted back to an online format, not one beat was missed as teachers provided students with each and every tool they needed to pick up precisely where they left off while on campus. It’s impossible to name all of the activities that have kept our students interested, engaged and learning, whether socially distanced on campus or at home. But, from packed-up science kits so students could conduct science experiments together on Zoom in family kitchens, to virtual scavenger hunts, P.E. classes to remind kids of the importance of exercise, and a live stream of the students’ holiday caroling to keep music in their lives – and many, many more – Mount Madonna teachers have filled our students’ hearts and souls with love and laughter and, when needed, have “held their hands” through frustrations and disappointment. If my words are not enough to convince, on the last day of the Fall semester, our students – from pre-K all the way to grade 12 – demonstrated their gratitude for their teachers with a socially distanced horn-honking and sign-waving caravan at school. It was a sight to behold. The Mount Madonna School faculty has gone above and beyond in providing our students with an outstanding education during these challenging times. And dare I say maybe even more importantly, they have modeled for our students that time-tested life lesson – “Yes, we can.”

The post February Teachers of the Month first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

January Teacher of the Month

growingupsc — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 18:09:18 +0000

Krista Holt is pictured below with her puppets, Puppy and Snail, who are important “friends” in our class and help us with our Social Emotional & Growth Mindset lessons each week. “We end every class meeting with the class poem, ‘Let love shine through in all you do,’ says Holt.

The post January Teacher of the Month first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

December Teacher of the Month

growingupsc — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:45:38 +0000

Making Distance Learning Feel Close Teacher of the Month is a monthly feature in Growing Up in Santa Cruz. We honor local teachers based on your nominations. Send your nominations to editor@growingupsc.com and please stop in and thank Kianti’s for their uplifting community spirit! By Brad Kava The 5th grade teachers at San Lorenzo Elementary School faced a double whammy when this school year started. First, there was COVID-19, which forced students to be taught on home computers. Then, there were the horrible wild fires that wreaked havoc all over the district and forced school to start weeks late. But parents and students who nominated all of the 5th grade teachers for “Teacher of the Month” said they not only found ways for their students to survive, but to thrive. “This is night and day from the spring,” said Melissa Herceg, who has twin boys in the grade. “Spring was crisis learning and this is true distance learning.” Teachers Megan Glover, Julia Ordahl, Briana Smith, Kristen Borgen and Raissa Gale came up with a plan to make elementary school more like middle school. Rather than having each of them teach all subjects to their students, they started team teaching with each focusing on their expertise. They came up with games to make learning fun, created monthly musical themes to engage students and scheduled small group and private meetings to get to know the kids better. “Some parents in other schools have told me they never hear from their kid’s teacher. This team is responsive. I never feel alone. They had an introduction meeting with every kid and parent and they had a power point to show where we are and where we are going.” Principal Danielle Winters said she’s extremely proud of these team teachers. She used to be an SLE teacher before becoming the chief executive. “The majority of our teachers chose to do this this year,” she said. ”The reason is to share the load, if you will, and be an expert in one area to support all the kids. With the overwhelming time it takes to prepare distance lessons, this was a way to share the workload.” Teacher Julia Ordahl said the team was thrown into distance learning last spring, but worked since then to come up with techniques to make it more personal. Her biggest challenge was keeping the kids interested, even in larger groups, but students and parents say it’s working. “I’m super grateful we are safe and we have options and we have the technology to do this because this would be a lot harder if it happened 20 years ago,” she said. Mrs. Ordahl cried with joy when she got her prize from Kianti’s and Growing Up. Principal Winters said it really boosted their spirits in a tough year. The reviews from other parents and kids have been fantastic: “I like the way my teacher Mrs Ordahl adds jokes to morning meeting,” said Jack Herceg, 10. Added his twin, Wyatt: “This year is a lot more clean. A lot more clear. The teachers use Ed puzzles and Kahoots and my teacher, Mrs. Smith, she shares the LEGO stop motion videos her son makes too.” Teacher of the Month is a monthly feature in Growing Up in Santa Cruz. We honor local teachers based on your nominations. This month Kianti’s Pizza & Pasta Bar at 1100 Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz donated dinners, wine and keepsakes. Send your nominations to editor@growingupsc.com and please stop in and thank Kianti’s for their uplifting community spirit! San Lorenzo Valley Elementary Megan Glover, Julia Ordahl, Briana Smith, Kristin Borgen, and Raissa Gale Fifth Grade Team I would like to nominate Mrs. Smith for this award. She is a 5th grade teacher at San Lorenzo Valley Elementry School. My daughter is in her class and she was really bummed about distant learning this year (as last year’s distant learning didn’t go that well). Mrs. Smith has done such a great job of not only making distant learning fun but has done such a great job with all the curriculum. She has done all of this while having 2 young kids of her own and a husband who is a firefighter and has been gone on many strike teams helping with all the fires. My daughter Tia adores Mrs. Smith and is having a great last year of Elementary school. Many thanks to Mrs. Smith and all the great teachers that are working so hard for our children. -Charise D. I’d like to nominate the fifth grade team at SLE to be honored as teachers of the month. The team works so well together and my fifth grader is doing really well under their collaborative instruction! During our kids’ last elementary year they are providing them with emotional support, academic challenge, individual attention and supportive feedback and I couldn’t be more grateful! -Erin Maver We would like to nominate the 5th grade team of teachers at SLE because they have done an outstanding job of keeping the kids engaged, motivated and on task despite these challenging times. It takes a special group of people to make online learning entertaining. A special shout out to Mrs. Glover! We really appreciate their dedication to the students. -Stephanie We would like to nominate the SLE fifth grade team. My son was lucky enough to be in a 4/5 combo last year with Megan Glover and was able to experience her awesomeness in person for more than half the year. He had the opportunity to loop with her again this year. Not only does he have a teacher that makes him laugh and keep him engaged, she also gets him. I had the pleasure of hanging out in her classroom a few times, and I wish I had her as a teacher growing up! This year my son has all of the fifth grade team helping him learn ana achieve his goals. He tells me weekly about the one on one attention he receives and how proud he is that they recognize his hard work. -Christy

The post December Teacher of the Month first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.