Closed: Nominate A Teacher to Win $100 Office Max Gift Card for “A Day Made Better”

I would like to nominate Mrs. Amy Blanford of AB Chandler Elementary School in Corydon, KY. She is a kindergarten teacher who helped both of my girls sooo much. My daughters are now in the 2nd & 3rd grade and they still admire her. She is soo caring and compassionate and went out of her way to help my youngest daughter learn to use scissors even though she was in preschool. Morgan is left handed and it was very hard for me to teach her. If I ever needed anything she has been there to answer each and every question I have. I am truly greatful for everything she has done for our family! She really deserves to be acknowledged.

I know about budget cuts as year 2009-2010 came teachers at Lumpkin County High had to purchase paper, tape, and other necessities for their classroom. I am nominating one of my former teachers Lorissa Crumley at Lumpkin County High School in Dahlonega, GA. She has dedicated her one funds to make her classroom run and where learning can be fun. :)

I would like to nominate Susan Jenkinson from Sprindale Elementary School in West Columbia, Sc. My daughter had her as a 4th grade teacher last year, she came up with so many new and FUN ideas to help the kids learn they actually want too. This year when she (my dauhgter) needs extra help, she goes straight to her class afterschool to get and is never turned away, and stays until she understands her work. She is a selfless, passoniate, wonderful teacher.

I love the Facebook donation campaign benefiting Adopt-A-Classroom. What a wonderful idea to take some of the monetary load off of the teachers this has to help them out so much

If I could nominate my sons’ entire school of teachers I would, but I shall nominate Mrs. Cathleen Manning, first grade teacher at St. Catherine’s of Siena in Manchester, N.H. My first two boys were in her class and now my last son is in her class this year. She is warm, loving, affectionate, caring and motherly — all the things a first grade teacher should be. My oldest son says his favorite year was with Mrs. Manning. When you get a solid base like that in your education, you can’t go wrong. She engages the students by having them sing (in opera) their vocabulary words. So funny! She encourages each child at his/her own reading level even with a class size of 29. Mrs. Manning also learns the latest technology, although somtimes frightening, to keep up with her students. She allows them to be silly kids at times and hold talent shows within the class. Learning and laughing go hand-in-hand in her classroom. My only hope is that she is still there by the time my daughter gets to first grade.

I nominate my mother. Although she never went to college to become a certified teacher, she IS a school teacher.

She is passionate about her job because:
she cares enough to give up a career and teach her 8 children
she cares about WHAT she teaches her students
she is careful to make learning FUN

She is dedicated to her job because:
she is a mother
she loves to instill a love for learning in her students

She is an innovative teacher because:
she is always thinking outside the box
she relates learning to all life lessons
she never restricts ‘teaching’ to ‘book-learning’

I would like to nominate Mr. Johnson Eagle Middle School Special Education Teacher and both Eagle Middle School boys basketball coach and Eagle High Freshman boys basketball coach. He has a very tough job teaching ED (emotionally disabled) children, probably the toughest. Hard to make a connection with these children but each year through his relentless commitment he manages to make those connections and to teach children who overall have no desire to learn. He is always there he rarely misses a day and has accured tons of sick leave and is often forced to take his personal days because they dont roll on to the next year. Basketball season takes him a way for another 3 hours an evening and more if he has to travel to the games and doing both Middle school and High school basketball, he works his 12 hour days sometimes more, from the end of November through March. Then summer basketball camps on top of all that. You rarely find a person willing to give up so much of their time to help children but he does it, and it makes him happy. We miss him at home during his busy times but we never miss a game:)

I am going to nominate one of my very closest friends, Ms. Wooldridge, who is beginning her second year teaching pre-K in New Orleans for Teach for America. She works in the district that got hit the worst during Katrina and is still struggling to recover. Ms. Wooldridge teaches in a FEMA trailer with mold :-(.

I had the opportunity to spend a day in her classroom last spring and I was floored by how amazing of a teacher she was, even without the formal training (TFA corps members only spend a summer training before they start teaching). Lauren brought so much energy and patience to her classroom and students, many of whom come from very unstable homes. For example, that day, she was reading Rainbow fish to teach the students about sharing. Then each student painted their own fish scale and she made one giant fish from them all. (Innovative!)

When Ms. Wooldridge started teaching, she realized that so many of these families had so little that her students didn’t even have toys at home to play with. So she really beefed up her classroom with a lot of stimulating and educational toys using her own money. Then, someone robbed Ms. Wooldridge’s classroom, and she had to start over from scratch. But her character really shined through in this experience. Instead of regretting what was lost, Ms. Wooldridge focused on how much she already had. “So many of these people lost EVERYTHING during Katrina… many teachers at my school don’t even have family photos anymore,” she told me. She said she hoped whoever took her things could use them. (Passionate AND dedicated!)

I nominate my son’s 1st grade teacher…Mrs. Rhonda Nachamkin from The Atlanta Academy in Roswell, GA. Mrs. Nachamkin is an amazing teacher. She makes learning FUN by inspiring the kids to think beyond the text on a page. Mrs. Nachamkin makes learning english, reading, math, science and social studies vividly relevant to the kid’s everyday life! My son wakes up in the morning excited about what he will learn during the day. Through sheer creativity and imagination, her classroom is made to be an incredibly interactive enviornment that inspires an infectious love of learning. The kids work together, develop interpersonal communication skills, respect for others, self-confidence, self-expression, and are encouraged to recognize the incredible individuals that they are. I am amazed!

I would like to nominate Stacey Miller. She is a first grade teacher at Tipton Elementary in Tipton Indiana.

She is my daughter and I feel so proud of her when parents and grandparents walk up to me and tell me how wonderful she is. She makes up games to make learning fun. She also plays music while they are doing their work and it is amazing how the kids ask for the music. She makes sure that they always get a little something for each holiday. One of the things that the kids really enjoy is watching and documenting the growth of a butterfly. When the butterfly comes out they love going to the Nature Center to release them.

I would like to nominate my daughter’s preschool teacher, Mrs Thornburg. She goes out of her way to make sure she is reaching children by implementing a traveling preschool that goes to daycares, also teaches ECFE classes on Tuesdays evenings, plans monthly special events for ECFE & Preschool families, use her time to coordinate fundraisers to provide scholarships to preschool families who need it. She even has given up her own Saturday nights to watch kids as a “Date Night” fundraiser for the preschool. Plus she teaches daytime preschool classes like the one my daughter is in. She gives so much of her time and resources to make sure children in our community have the opportunity for early childhood education. She is also a wonderful teacher!
.-= Mom of Two´s last blog ..164 Make Fairy Wands =-.

I think Office Max Adopt a Classroom Campaign is amazing. It is true that teachers on average spend $1,000 of their own money to supply their classroom. They may receive some reimburstment , but not all. My husband JR Klinger (4th grade teacher at Tukes Valley Primary) does not only use his own money, but as a result it leaves less money in our budget for living expenses. That can be tough with 4 kids, yet we are willing to sacrifice and support him in order for his students to have a successful year. I hope that this Campaign gets a lot of support. I shared it on facebook!!
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I nominate my daughter’s preschool teacher from 2 years ago, Miss Christi Dearborn. She is passionate about teaching the kids in both the academic and social sense. She invited us to her home for a little play date to get to know us better and it made a real impression. She’s very invested in her families. She’s dedicated to her work, taking time to plan activities on weekends for families, like going to a local zoo together. The things she does with the kids are innovative and unique. She’s always coming up with new ideas. She even babysits for us now and then. We love Miss Christi and are so thankful that our daughter had her as a first teacher!

I would like to nominate Ms. Jennifer Clement from Sandrini elementry in Bakersfield, Ca. She was my son’s Kindergarten teacher and now his 2nd grade teacher. She is one of the best teachers I know! She is always willing to spend hundreds of her own money to find new and fun ways of teaching. She teaches at a low income title 1 school. Many of her students cannot afford typical school supplies. Every year she buys extra pencils, paper, folders, etc., just so her lower income students do not have to go without. She teaches at a school where many students are testing below grade level. This makes her sad. So she is always giving her time to help these students excel. She has a tender heart and loves each and every one of her students. It would be so wonderful if she was able to win a $100 gift card. It would greatly help a wonderful dedicated teacher!!

I’d like to nominate my friend, Holly, who is a second-grade teacher. I lived with her for a year and saw her passion, dedication and innovative teaching techniques first hand as she prepared for lessons, graded papers and was always brainstorming new ways to teach her kids about various subjects (including homemade shrinky-dinks!). She works in a rural school district that doesn’t get much money, so I know she could use all the help she can get!

I would like to nominate Cindy Gonzalez from Beaver Run Elementary School. Everything she does in her day, and even when she comes home after school is done for her kids in her class. She strives so very hard to see them succeed and be the best that they can be as kids. Her techniques of teaching touch from the smartest in the class to the hardest to teach and even the ones that others would say they would be to much to handle. She loves everything about teaching and everything about kids and learning. No one in her class is ever considered less than anyone else and her determination to see them be the best is showed in the smallest to biggest things they learn. A teacher is a very special person all around and their integrity shows through the children they teach. Cindy does just that and all of her kids love her.

I nominate Mrs. D. Mitchell who teaches fourth grade at Cleburne County Elementary School in Heflin, Alabama. Mrs. Mitchell has taught for more than thirty years and still loves it! She shared her feelings with some of us on orientation day: Some days when she feels a bit tired, she considers staying home. She goes to school anyway (dedication) and finds that the children cheer her immensely and make her glad to be alive (passion). Mrs. Mitchell’s enthusiasm and interesting assignments keep students focused on learning and trying to do their best. Discipline is maintained in this manner. Although it has been done for many years, I call it ‘innovative’ because the teacher must change tactics and monitor progress constantly to keep the peace.

I nominate Mr. Michael Morales, a Kindergarten teacher at Dahlia Heights Elementary in Eagle Rock, Ca. He is very dedicated and has a great passion for teaching. My daughter was in his class last year and she still talks about how great a teacher he was and how she wants to go back to Kindergarten so she can have him as her teacher again! That to me, says a lot. He treats the children as if they were his own and teaches them not just the basic textbook requirements but everything else in between as well. He really cares about his kids and wants to make a change in their lives for the better. Thank you for your consideration:)

I’d like to dominate a teacher and a good friend of mine, Ms. Luongo. She works in a big city and often works with kids with problems in school. She is so hard working, kind, and passionate about teaching. She is a great teacher, and I have seen first hand that she often buys things for her classroom and her students out of her own pocket! I know that she would be so happy to use this gift card toward buying supplies and tools for her students, thanks so much!!

Is it possible to nominate 2 teachers to split the $100? I’d like to nominate my 2 sons’ teachers. They get to class as much as 2 hours before the kids do and stay after school for at least an hour to meet with parents and keep everyone up to date on their child’s progress. I think they are both very dedicated.

Mrs. Martin was my son’s 5th grade teacher. She is passionate because she doesn’t allow any name calling in her classroom. She soothes tears and makes the kids happy. She is passionate about teaching also.

She is dedicated because she doesn’t allow the children to do half jobs, they have to get the job done well. She stays until 5 pm to help students that may need it.

Let me tell you about innovative! She had the children do a solar system with planets, comets, satellites, space station, etc. last year. It took up a good part of the stage. The children were SO excited to show this off to family. The children did really well on their tests too!
.-= Susan S´s last blog ..Oh- when my child is sick! =-.

I nominate teacher Gloria at Lowman School for Special Needs simply because what she does there is truly amazing. I had an opportunity to help her out and seeing how she works with these special needs children melted my heart. Gloria and her staff are obviously passionate and dedicated about their work. It takes a lot of patience and understanding to work with these children everyday. But what makes them special is their innovative ways to try to come up with new techniques and ideas for these kids to enjoy. They are trying to help them learn and know what it is like to be and do in the outside world. They have created a nursery where they have their kids water the plants and then give them “fake” money for doing their duties. Then with that “fake” money, these children cash it in for either a spa day or a movie night, all held at the school on Fridays. The girls usually choose the Spa expereince and Gloria and her staff offer spa services to these kids! How amazing is that? They style their hair, play with makeup, get their nails done, and give foot massages. Gloria and her staff supply a lot of their own classrooms due to budget cuts and they could use all the help they can receive. I was fortunate enough to witness this and volunteer and I feel she, if anyone, deserves this. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Mrs. Walker is the most passionate, Dedicated and innovative teacher I know! It was always fun learning in her kindergarten class. (I STILL remember her lessons!) Whether playing old records of children’s songs to help us learn or doing special snacks to study the clouds, I just remember feeling like a family every day in class.

She would even do a nice quiet time after lunch if “we were good” (But I think it was really if we were too roudy!)
Mrs. Walker seriously changed the way I work with kids even today. She proved how dedicated she is by STILL continuing to be a teacher… 15 years later!

I nominated Mrs Kentner she a Kindergarten teacher and has taught both my kids and they both think the world of her. Even when we see her out of school she never ceases to stop and say hello to them. My son was having problems with learning and she worked with him and us after and before school on numerous times and he has had no issues this since then but he does remember all the help she gave him. She is truly special and one of a kind.

I would like to nominate every teacher at Leander Middle School. We teach in a 55% economically disadvantaged school with a 19% special education population. We all spend money out of our pockets to feed our students, buy supplies, and pay for field trips. We are a title 1 school, but we are rated Exemplary in the state of Texas. This would be a great way to outreach to our school and help our teachers.

I “liked” Office Max on Facebook and I think that it’s amazing that they are donating a dollar for everyone that “likes” them. I know alot of teachers, and they are so dedicated to their students that they spend so much money trying to make their classrooms better. It’s nice to see a big company realizes this and helping out.

I would love to nominate an algebra teacher I had in 7th grade. He was awesome all the way around–super fun, made learning fun, made us believe in ourselves and he was funny as heck! He is/was:

Passionate: He was always in a good mood and happy—never seemed like it was a chore or job to him

Dedicated: I can never remember a day he was absent—he came to work every single day even when sickish!

Innovative: He was always jumping around to new grades to teach Algebra, Algebra II, Geometry, etc–he was always doing something new!

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