Inspiring Educators: Weekly Roundup 2/18/19

There is no doubt that good teachers can have a tremendous impact on a student’s life. Whether it’s just adding some fun to their day, or providing them with much needed academic tutoring and support, many teachers go the extra mile to help their student. That is evident of the teachers in this roundup. They show how much they care about students, every day. Are there inspiring educators in your life? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook @enrichingedjobs.

A severe car accident left school janitor Myron Peterson with a traumatic brain injury. But during recovery, he discovered he had developed a new artistic ability. Working through therapy, and honing his skill, he began leaving ‘mystery’ art on the school whiteboards during his shifts. More than just skilled drawings, he uses his art to help inspire students, who for a while had no idea who was leaving the artwork. See some of the art and inspiring messages here.

In Tulsa Oklahoma, one teacher was recently recognized for the work he’s done to help his calculus students. David Lanning is an AP math teacher. During the summer, he runs a camp to assist students with calculus, in preparation for the school’s AP calculus courses. This is a completely voluntary effort -- he does this on his own time, and around 30 students attend, though they receive no credit for doing so. Lanning says, “A lot of it is about making students believe in themselves.” Check out how his extra efforts have benefited students.

Two California teachers, Ryan Francisco and John Fowler, were named educator of the year in Carpenteria. Franciso is known for his enthusiasm, and willingness to try new things and collaborate with others, all with the goal of trying to reach every student, including building a STEAM club at his school. Fowler is a middle school teacher, and as such he really tries to help students through this often difficult transition. He focuses on building “social emotional competencies necessary for building healthy relationships and life-long learning. “ Read both of these teachers’ words as they talk about what motivates them in their teaching, and what they think students need most.

Often, we share the story of a teacher who has won an award for their exceptional teaching; this story is the nomination of a teacher for the Global Teacher Price of 2019. Yasodai Selvakumaran is a Humanities teacher at Rooty Hill High School in Australia. She is passionate about what she teaches, and about positively impacting her students, as was her own school experience. She says about finding her path to becoming a teacher, “I knew I wanted to work with people and young people in particular because of the impact my own teachers had on me.” Read the rest of her story, and what got her into the top 50 nominations globally.

Teacher Amee Alioto is a special education teacher at Adele Harrison Middle School in Sonoma County. She is known to be a kind, hardworking teacher who “creates a safe and supportive environment for her students so that she can push them out of their comfort zone.” In addition to teaching special education, she offers a dance elective that has become popular among students, which has proved to have a positive impact on school culture. Read how Amee feels about being a teacher, and the recent honor she’s received.