Behind every great student is a great teacher. These teachers make spelling and vocabulary fun. They serve as spelling coaches, moderators and judges, but more often than not, they are simply motivators who encourage the students to be the best they can be. In the "Teacher Feature," we celebrate the men and women who educate the youth of our country.
Mrs. Yasmin Arif, the computer lab specialist at R.C. Haydon Elementary School in Manassas, Virginia, understands that learning spelling isn't simply memorization and repetition. Instead, she motivates her students by incorporating technology in a variety of fun learning activities.
The day begins with students announcing a word of the day during the morning school announcements. As they walk down the halls of the school, students see the colorful banners and bulletin boards Mrs. Arif creates for the students to learn their spelling words. The students even have a chance to decorate a challenging word of their choice.
There's even a word wall with a big bee, where students add words that they find interesting or challenging.
In the classroom, the students receive a yellow spelling bee folder as they participate in the spelling lessons. They type words and play interactive games to help them learn their spelling words. Occasionally, Mrs. Arif conducts mini spelling bees for the different classes right there in her computer lab, helping the students prepare for bigger spelling bees in the future.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee would like to thank Mrs. Yasmin Arif for her efforts to help students become enthusiastic about learning new words. As Mrs. Arif says, Haydon students are happy to "bee" spelling.
If you'd like to nominate a teacher for an upcoming teacher feature, let us know. Fill out your contact information at the link, then nominate the teacher on the following page.