Brentwood Teacher is 2006 Wake County Teacher of the Year

May 11, 2006 - Brentwood Elementary School teacher Gladys Madauss is the 2005-06 Wake County Teacher of the Year.

Superintendent Bill McNeal presented Madauss the Wake County Teacher of the Year Award sponsored by Wachovia Bank at tonight's banquet. McNeal praised Madauss for earning the school system's highest honor. She was applauded by hundreds of community and education leaders attending the event.


Gladys Madauss
2006 Wake County Teacher of the Year

Madauss teaches at Brentwood Elementary

Madauss is a first-grade teacher, who holds several leadership roles at her school and has been teaching for 11 years.

Fellow Brentwood Elementary teacher Jan Cardenas praised Madauss as a truly exceptional educator. "Her keen intelligence, high level of energy, creativity and sensitivity are gifts that enable her to make a difference for every child she touches," said Cardenas. "Her knowledge of the curriculum, child development and the need to diversify for every student enables her to aptly provide specific instructional focus for all of her students. Children are constantly engaged in highly motivating, exciting and relevant curriculum-based learning experiences."

At Brentwood Elementary, Madauss is the grade level chair, Leadership team chair and a member of the School Improvement team.

Brentwood Elementary principal Myrna Pagan said Madauss has demonstrated strong learning skills and creativity. "Ms. Madauss joined our staff on August 2002 and ever since then she has become a shining star," said Pagan. "Her students have improved academically and socially. She emphasizes positive interactions among students and her positive reward system helps students feel good about their learning."

Madauss grew up in El Salvador, lived in several countries and found everything was so new when she first arrived in NC. "My first year was a powerful learning experience," said Madauss. "As I taught the children each day, I was also learning along with them. Each day I learned to love them, respect them and value the gifts they had to offer. It took courage, adaptability, creativity, determination, commitment and passion for teaching. I believe these are some of the essential qualities teachers should possess in order to be successful."

Vicky Kriegsman has a son in Madauss's class. "Mrs. Madauss clearly believes in making education a fun, hands-on experience for her students. She motivates them to succeed through a series of performances held in the classroom," said Kriegsman. "Her innovative teaching style, excellence in instruction and obvious love of teaching, instills in her students a real love of learning."

Madauss said she has learned to be there for her students. "To be there is to be fully engaged in the moment and to give children my undivided attention, focusing on their needs and feelings," said Madauss. "Being there enables you to catch those special moments that make great learning and teaching opportunities. However, this takes practice, discipline, awareness and commitment."

Teacher of the Year gifts

As the Wake County Teacher of the Year, Madauss will represent Wake County in the North Carolina Teacher of the Year competition. She succeeds Bill Ferriter, a Salem Middle School teacher and the 2004-05 Wake County Teacher of the Year.

Wake County's Teacher of the Year receives:
· A laptop computer, compliments of Chris Wilder of Office Depot and a printer compliments of Abder Allan;
· One-year use of a 2006 Saturn automobile you see displayed here, compliments of Bill Shotwell of Saturn of Raleigh/Cary;
· A tote bag of office supplies, compliments of Karen Whitfield, Abder Allen, Chris Wilder, and Kim Ghant;
· A $50 gift certificate to Office Depot, compliments of Karen Whitefield;
· A check for $1000 compliments of our corporate sponsors; and
· $2,000 toward participation in the Center for International Understanding's global study program, compliments of The Center for International Understanding, a Dan Royster memorial. The Dan Royster Teacher award was established as a tribute and memorial to Dan Royster, a Wake County science teacher and enthusiastic international exchange participant to the former Soviet Union and China. The award is funded through contributions from his family and friends.

Candidates for Teacher of the Year are nominated and elected by their peers. The teacher candidates develop portfolios that describe their teaching careers and philosophy of teaching. Ten selection committees review the portfolios and narrow the field to 20 semifinalists. The selection committees observe the semifinalists in their classrooms and each committee chooses one teacher to be among the 10 finalists. The finalists are interviewed by the Teacher of the Year Interview Committee. Based upon the quality of the portfolio and the interview, the Interview Committee then chooses the Teacher of the Year by secret ballot.

Finalists

The nine finalists receive a $250 cash prize and an array of other gifts. They are Melinda Fox of Lead Mine Elementary, Anna Goodrum of Farmington Woods Elementary, Lisa Huffman of Garner High, Julaine Kammrath of Wake Forest Elementary, Robert Matthews of Mt. Vernon Middle, Patrick McArdle of Holly Ridge Middle, Kevin Steidinger of Combs Elementary, Laurie Toreson of Knightdale High and Susan Wiedenman of Salem Elementary.

The nine finalists received a tote bag of office supplies, compliments of Karen Whitfield, Abder Allen, Chris Wilder, and Kim Ghant; $250, compliments of corporate sponsors; and an acrylic award.

Nominees received a tote bag of office supplies, compliments of Karen Whitfield, Abder Allen, Chris Wilder, and Kim Ghant; and an acrylic award.

This is the third year that Wachovia Bank has sponsored the Wake County Teacher of the Year Award and banquet.

More information is available at Finalists Named For 2006 Wake County Teacher Of The Year.

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