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Behind every great student is a great teacher. These teachers make learning fun by thinking outside the box and creating classroom experiences that resonate with their students. They serve many roles in their schools, as spelling coaches, school bee coordinators and judges; more often than not, they are motivators who encourage their students to be the best they can be. In the “Teacher Feature,” we celebrate these educators and their commitment.
If the last two years are any indication, the Riverdale School District can expect to see students from Ms. Briggs’ class in its district-wide spelling bee for many years to come. Brittany Briggs has been a fifth grade teacher at Riverdale Elementary School in Port Byron, Illinois, since 2013, and in her short tenure, three of the four students who qualified for the regional level of competition have been members of her class.
T.J. Bull-Welch, an administrator for the Riverdale School
District, believes that her students’ success exemplifies Ms. Briggs’
impressive dedication to spelling. “It is a dynamic performance,” he says, “considering
there were almost three hundred students from older grades competing with and
against her younger students.” To advance to the regional spelling bee
sponsored by The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus, Ms. Briggs’
students must compete against third- through eighth-grade spellers.
Not only does Ms. Briggs prepare the students in her class for the spelling bee, she also encourages camaraderie and good sportsmanship among her students. The entire class helps the top spellers prepare for the district and regional bees during free-time study sessions, which makes each spelling bee win a victory for everyone involved. Her two students who competed at the district and regional bees studied together frequently and cheered for one another, even when they were the final two competitors.
Mr. Bull-Welch is quick to point out that Ms. Briggs’ dedication to her students transcends spelling bees and even school years. When his daughter left fifth grade behind for her first day of middle school, she received an email from Ms. Briggs, asking her how she liked sixth grade and reminding her not to stress because “You are amazing.”
The Scripps National Spelling Bee would like to thank Ms. Briggs for being pretty amazing herself! We’re humbled to recognize her efforts to improve her students’ spelling and sportsmanship while cultivating relationships that last even beyond the classroom.
If you would like to nominate an educator for an upcoming “Teacher Feature,” let us know. Simply fill out your contact information, then nominate the teacher on the following page.