Finalists Named For 2006 Wake County Teacher Of The Year

Melinda D. Fox is a literacy teacher at Lead Mine Elementary School. She has been teaching for nine years, five at Lead Mine. She is an instructional leader, helping her school strengthen its reading instruction and leading the Care Academy after-school program. At her church, she works with the Senior High Sunday School class and has been involved in mission trips during the summer.

Fox says there are many reasons a student might require the services of an after-school program such as the Care Academy. "For the elementary child, the benefits of having professional tutors review and practice what he has learned during the day is invaluable," said Fox. "The after-school program provides students with adult guidance and support rather than unsupervised television viewing or involvement in gangs or other dangerous activities."

Principal Gary Baird says the Care Academy is thriving under Fox's leadership. "The Care Academy is a program that combines the resources of Title I, the WCPSS Accelerated Learning Program and the YMCA to provide the students of Lead Mine who need extra help with assistance," said Baird. "As director she selects the teachers, monitors the YMCA assistants, and places the children in positions where they can be successful. She coordinates the transportation and deals with any discipline issues."

Anna Norris Goodrum is a fifth-grade teacher at Farmington Woods Elementary School. She has been teaching for 10 years, the last six at Farmington Woods. She is a National Board Certified teacher. This year she became a mentor to first-year teachers. She has engaged students in community works collecting items for disaster victims and schools in Haiti. Goodrum earned the "Service Above Self" award from the Cary Chamber of Commerce in 2005.

Goodrum says it's important to have high expectations for students. "I posted a sign in my room that stated 'High Expectations Equals High Achievement.' I told my students that I believed in them and that we would prove everyone wrong," said Goodrum. "I believed that they would succeed and it showed in my teaching and in their achievement. The students strived to be successful because I made them believe they could. By the time test scores came out, that sign had become reality."

Pam Kellogg has praise for her son's fifth-grade teacher. "Mrs. Goodrum is an excellent guide in having the students exemplify their independence and to inform the students of their future in middle school. She reminded them that they will have to be initiators and face challenges and take charge, on their own. Mrs. Goodrum prepares them for middle school," said Kellogg. "Mrs. Goodrum takes her job as a teacher very seriously. She is not only a teacher, but a leader, guide and friend to all her students. She is one of the best!"

Lisa W. Huffman is an English-as-a-Second-Language teacher at Garner High School. She has been teaching for 14 years, the last nine at Garner High. She is a National Board Certified teacher. She works to help ESL parents feel they are part of the school's community. Her motto is "Everyone smiles in the same language."

Huffman teaches the beginning level ESL students. "Most of my ESL students enroll at my school after just arriving from their countries," said Huffman. "It is very scary and intimidating for a teenager to come to school, unable to communicate in English, and not know anyone else. I believe it is my job to reduce their anxiety level by making them feel comfortable and welcomed from the very first moment they walk into school."

Bernice Gomez-Santos dropped out of school, but with Huffman's encouragement she returned and graduated. "My experience with Mrs. Huffman is that she is a wonderful teacher who deeply cares about her students, who is persistent and who is willing to go beyond her duties as a teacher," said Gomez-Santos. "When I was attending school, Mrs. Huffman was very dedicated to me and my life. She always asked how I was and I knew that she cared about what was happening. I am still routinely in contact with Mrs. Huffman as she mains an important person in my life."

Julaine Kammrath is a fifth-grade teacher at Wake Forest Elementary School. She has been teaching for 16 years, the last two at Wake Forest. Her lessons encompass all learning styles. In her class, students may be found dressed as John Hancock reciting a poem or learning math concepts through song and movement. She loves learning and shares her excitement about learning with her students.

Kammrath says her students describe her teaching style as 'dorky in a nice way.' "In our room, I don't answer the phone, roll down the blinds, or even have solo use of the one-wheeled chair in the room," said Kammrath. "Sometimes student show us their thinking at the whiteboard. Math often finds us in groups or pairs. My weekly newsletter tells what various children have done the past week as a way to convey what's going on with curriculum. There is a playful aspect to life in our room."

Sandy Leistensnider moved her family to Wake County last school year and her daughter was a student in Kammrath's class. "I have had the privilege to work in her classroom and witness the learning that goes on in there, and I have been amazed," said Leistensnider. "She has turned her students into a classroom of writers. She has taught them respect and tolerance. She recognizes each of their individual personalities and learning styles and works to enhance their learning in unique and individual ways."

Gladys L. Madauss is a first-grade teacher at Brentwood Elementary School. She has been teaching for 11 years, the last four at Brentwood. She is the grade level chair, Leadership team chair and a member of the School Improvement team. She demonstrates strong learning skills and creativity. She has been active in El Pueblo, the non-profit organization for the Latino community.

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."

Robert G. Matthews is an eighth-grade teacher at Mount Vernon Middle School. He has been teaching for 32 years, the last six at Mount Vernon. He is president and education coordinator of NC Vietnam Veterans, Inc. and was one of 16 local veterans recognized in 2005 by the Board of Education for their community service. He helped develop the WCPSS Lessons of Vietnam class where students learned through first-person accounts varying views about US involvement in Vietnam. His classes are filled with lively dialogue, student engagement and real life applications.

Matthews says that teaching is a privilege that gives great joy. "No other career gives you the opportunity to interact with so many young people and to hopefully provide them with the tools and knowledge needed to become successful, productive citizens," said Matthews. "We are not bound by textbooks in today's work and must teach students how to ask questions, where to find the answers, how to recognize fact from fiction, how to make the right choices, how to work together. These are all skills that will serve them the rest of their lives."

Stuart Nisbet says Matthews has an incredible ability to reach students from all walks of life. "I remember visiting the setup of 'Hooverville,' an American History class project where Matthew's students slept in cardboard boxes, ate beans cooked over an open fire and attended school the next day without having had a shower," said Nisbet. "I can still see the faces of a class full of students who will never forget what they learned about the depression. They will always remember the impact the depression had on US citizens because they spent one single night living in a box."

James Patrick McArdle is a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Holly Ridge Middle School. He has been a teacher for seven years, the last three at Holly Ridge. He is a National Board Certified teacher. He is the school's social studies chair, character education liaison and PTA/staff liaison. At Holly Ridge, he led a collection of school supplies for Liberia. At East Garner Middle School, he was the sponsoring teacher for the IBM Mentorplace program in which IBM employees served as e-mentors for students.

McArdle has a cadre of three leaders elected by fellow students for each of his social studies classes. "The class officers handle all the daily routines, such as checking agendas or collecting and passing out papers," said McArdle. "The class officers meet on a regular basis to develop and implement strategies to improve both the total class performance and individual student performance. The class all compete in a quarter-long contest based on academic performance and the captains receive bonus grades for their time and effort."

Rebecca Brady has a son in McArdle's class. "His style of teaching brings lessons to life for his students," said Brady. "His lessons go far beyond the textbook with assignments that often integrate Social Studies with writing, research, technology, visual arts and math. Mr. McArdle's creativity and enthusiasm has extended my child's learning beyond the textbook."

Kevin Steidinger is a Cross-Categorical Level I teacher at Combs Elementary School. He has been teaching for 17 years, the last three at Combs. He is a National Board Certified teacher. He was honored as the 2000-01 Professional of the Year by the Arc of Wake County. His philosophy of teaching is that every child should be treated with dignity and respect, especially students with developmental disabilities. He seeks to provide his students with typical experiences and natural consequences, allowing them to take the risks that other students their age experience.

Steidinger says oftentimes teachers and families are tempted to shelter students with developmental disabilities and create an environment in which their choices are predetermined and their surroundings tightly controlled. "By establishing an environment of respect and having solid relationships, I am able to challenge my students academically, socially and emotionally," said Steidinger. "My classroom provides a safe, nurturing environment in which students are willing to take risks to reach their potential."

Principal Muriel Summers says Steidinger is a model for others. "Mr. Steidinger's constancy of purpose and steady passion for those he serves simply will not allow him to adopt any sort of negativity," said Summers. "His gift is knowing and doing, rather than simply believing. These are the keys to accomplishment, no matter your circumstances."

Laurie Toreson is a Spanish teacher at Knightdale High School. She has been teaching for 18 years, the last two at Knightdale. She serves as a mentor to first-year teachers. She is a National Board Certified teacher, serves as a National Board coach and has served as a presenter and facilitator for discussions on National Board and World Languages. She has served as a volunteer translator for the police and the Red Cross, established her school's International Ambassadors and heads an ESL class at her church.

Toreson says she is constantly impressed by her students's efforts and achievements. "It never ceases to amaze me when I walk down the halls of school and hear my students speaking to each other in Spanish," said Toreson. "I am equally impressed when they tell me that they were able to use their Spanish outside of school. One of the greatest rewards is that six former students have gone to college and pursued Spanish as a major, five in teaching."

WCPSS Second Languages Senior Administrator Tom Huffstetler praised Toreson. "She exhibits a thirst for learning that she easily passes on to students," said Huffstetler. "She maintains high expectations for all, and she is rarely disappointed. She has an outgoing and lively personality that endears her to all who know her."

Susan Wiedenman is a fourth-grade teacher at Salem Elementary School. She has been teaching for nine years, the last six at Salem. She is a National Board Certified teacher. She uses reading journals, student-led conferences, writing notebooks and data notebooks to create student responsibility. She has been active at her church as a Sunday School Teacher, youth group volunteer and Interfaith Hospitality Network volunteer.

Wiedenman says her classroom is an active place. "I believe in providing a framework for learning that points students in the right direction and allows them to discover steps on their own," said Wiedenman. "In order to point a child in the right direction, I must first figure out how far along the path that child is. This is one of the greatest challenges of education, but also one of its greatest rewards. When I am able to determine a child's needs and am able to discover how to help him reach for his potential, I feel satisfied that another day has been successful."

Fellow teacher Sheri Fowler says Wiedenman has a love of learning that is contagious. "Her passion for reading and her strong commitment to help all children to become independent, successful readers is at the heart of all she does," said Fowler. "Mrs. Wiedenman searches out and brings to life reading activities that will immerge her learners in the heart of the stories they are reading, while continuously building self-confidence. Although she realizes the importance of her students ability to master reading skills and objectives, she realizes it is equally important for children to have a belief in themselves that they are special and that they can learn and achieve what it is that they set out to do."