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 to their students' education.
We at the Bee are excited to bring back the "Teacher Feature" series on our blog for the 2016-2017 school year. Teachers help us fulfill our purpose every day in thousands of classrooms across the country, and highlighting their efforts each year is just one small way for us to say "thank you!" Our first post features Cissy Greenburg, third grade reading and language arts teacher at Cordova Elementary School in Cordova, Tennessee. Cordova Elementary School is a part of The Commercial Appeal's Greater Memphis Spelling Bee program.
The school's spelling bee coordinator, Ms. Laura Smith, nominated Ms. Greenburg for the "Teacher Feature," noting her strong support of the spelling bee and dedication to the English and language arts curriculum as evidence that she is worthy of the recognition. She added that "Ms. Greenburg's third grade students often win the school spelling bee, competing with confidence against older students." Ms. Smith attributes these students' successes to Ms. Greenburg's emphasis on literacy skills that are often overlooked in today's classrooms. For instance, dictionary skills are included as a part of the work her students do in their Common Core-aligned interactive notebooks. Ms. Greenburg's students excel in spelling and vocabulary because she digs deep into language arts with them, ensuring they have information literacy as well as general reading comprehension skills.
Ms. Greenburg is a nurturing teacher who works with her students to ensure their success in spelling bees and classroom activities, which help them gain the skills they will need to be successful later in life. When Ms. Smith reached out to her about the nomination, Ms. Greenburg had this tidbit to share with us: "What I always tell my students is that they are my future. One day they will be my doctor, my nurse, my lawyer, my veterinarian, and even my president. I want my students to become the best they can be since they will be the ones taking care of our world."
The Scripps National Spelling Bee would like to thank Ms. Greenburg for digging deep into the English and language arts curriculum with her students and focusing on the often underappreciated literacy skills, such as being able to use a dictionary to learn word information. With the skills that they learn in Ms. Greenburg's class, her students will have the power to make the future a brighter place for us all.
If you would like to nominate an educator for an upcoming "Teacher Feature," fill out this brief survey about the teacher you wish to nominate.