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.
As we all know, teachers don't just work from the opening bell to final dismissal. There are meetings after school hours, committees to join, and papers to grade at night. It's a lot more than just a seven or eight hour school day.
With all that teachers already do, it's somewhat amazing to
consider what Maryam Nelson did for East New York School of Excellence in Brooklyn.
Ms. Nelson, a sixth grade math teacher, not only joined the spelling bee
committee, she started the entire spelling bee program at the school.
"We are a fairly new school, in existence for just six years," said Beth Capozello, the principal's secretary who nominated Ms. Nelson for this feature. "Ms. Nelson is very passionate about a spelling bee at our school and her mission is to use vocabulary to foster learning in the classroom."
Despite now teaching math, Ms. Nelson's love for spelling goes back a number of years. She coordinated spelling bee programs at schools where she previously taught.
"This is our first spelling bee, but Ms. Nelson is very excited to see the growth of our students through the spelling bee program," Capozello said.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee thanks Maryam Nelson for starting the spelling bee program at East New York Middle School of Excellence.
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.