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.
If a teacher is going to encourage students to step outside of their comfort zone, it makes sense that the teacher should be willing to do so as well. Ms. Amanda Hughes, a fifth grade teacher at St. Joseph Academy in San Marcos, California, certainly understands that her actions speak louder than words.
Ms. Hughes is only
in her second year at St. Joseph Academy, but she has already stepped out of
her comfort zone to make the school a better place. She volunteered to run the
school spelling bee this year - the first time the school has been a part of
the program.
"This was our first year in the spelling bee, and we are down several staff members, so our collective expectations were not that high," said Paul Kerekes, Director of Elementary Instruction at SJA. "And yet, Ms. Hughes volunteered and pulled off a great spelling bee in the classroom and school-wide. It was quite amazing and so much fun to watch. She was organized and on top of everything."
It may not have been within her comfort zone to organize a school spelling bee, but Ms. Hughes took the challenge and ran with it. It's what she encourages her students to do when she charts their projects that help the school or others. Students in her class have read to younger grades, performed halftime shows, started a tech club and much more.
"I have been teaching for 16 years and have seen a lot of teachers. Every now and then a young teacher comes in who is a natural," Kerekes said. "Ms. Hughes taught like a veteran in her first year and her second year has been even better. She has a knack for coming up with projects in reading, spelling and history that bring out the best in her students and getting them excited to learn."
The Scripps National Spelling Bee thanks Ms. Amanda Hughes for being a great role model for the students at St. Joseph Academy and congratulates her for being this week's Teacher Feature.
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.