Finalist
Christy J. Constande
Teacher of the Year
Chets Creek Elementary Grades 1-5 Classroom InclusionPrincipal: Susan Phillips
Education
M.A., Jacksonville University B.A., Purdue University
Highlights
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26 years o teaching experience
•
2005 – Dare to Soar – Literacy Model Classroom
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1992- Exceptional Student EducationMainstreaming eacher o the YearMs. Constande prides hersel on creating a classroom where each student eelssae enough to risk sharing his thoughts and expressing his eelings. She takes herrole to develop lielong readers and writers seriously, providing each student withopportunities to be independent thinkers and workers. She describes education likea avorite book; the teacher is the prize-winning author, students are the belovedcharacters and the setting is the inviting classroom. Ms. Constande’s classroomocuses on books, authors, illustrators, words, guiding questions and instructions.She calls her students “riends” and works to make each one eel welcomed, respectedand sae when they step into her classroom. Ms. Constande’s riends don’t raise theirhands when they want to ask a question, they wait or the appropriate time to join theconversation. Tey are ree to retrieve materials they need in the room and to use therestroom when necessary. Eight years ago, Ms. Constande worked with a co-teacher and an ESE teacherto develop and pilot an inclusion program with special standard students. Highexpectations or all o her students have led to great success and the program has beenobserved by educators rom around the world.Ms. Constande aspires to have her students become contributors to the community.Every year they create a basket or the silent auction beneting the Sulzbacher Centerand tie the issue o homelessness to literature through books like Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting. She continues to volunteer her time at the McKenzie Wilson AcademicResource Center, oering tutoring to a high population o English Language Learnersrom the Chets Creek neighborhood.“In her every action she (Christy Constande) encompasses the qualities o a teacher who routinely puts orth her bravest sel or her students.”
Susan T. Phillips Principal Chets Creek Elementary
9
Finalist
Cindy Fitch
Teacher of the Year
Oak Hill Elementary SAR Grades 2-3Principal: Amy Bright
Education
M.E., Converse CollegeB.S., Winthrop College
Highlights
•
39 years o teaching experience
•
2007 – Te Gladys Pryor Award or Careereaching Excellence
•
2006-2007 – Duval County eacher o the Year Finalist
•
2006-2007 – eacher o the Year John Stockton Elementary
•
1998-1999 – eacher o the Year John Stockton Elementary
•
1987-1088- eacher o the Year West Riverside Elementary
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1981-1982 – eacher o the Year West Riverside Elementary Te year was 1959 and Cindy Fitch was a ourth grade student in Ms. Pearl Cain’sclassroom at Ruth N. Upson Elementary. She remembers how her teacher madeeveryone believe they had special gits and something important to contribute. Ater39 years as a teacher, Ms. Fitch continues to try to emulate what Ms. Cain modeled inthat classroom all those years ago. Ms. Fitch creates a warm and inviting learning environment where she builds strongrelationships with her students who know she cares about them. When you walk into her classroom, you see shelves stocked with books, walls covered with mathconcepts and motivational posters, rocking chairs and even a bathtub lled withpillows, a avorite reading place or her students.Ms. Fitch gets parents, amilies and the community involved at Oak Hill through herannual production o American Grandstand. Te production provides every student with an opportunity to shine, no matter how big a part they play!In addition to her work in the classroom, Ms. Fitch is a state trainer or the FloridaPerormance Measurement System, Peer-eacher and Clinical Educator rainer,ESOL trainer, trainer or Increasing Human Eectiveness, and a mentor to beginningteachers. In 1991, Ms. Fitch was one o ten teachers in Duval County selected to goon the rst teacher exchange trip to Jacksonville’s sister city, Murmansk, Russia.“It seems that in education today, too many educators do not understand thatteaching is a crat, one that cannot be mastered yet perpetually rened. Ms. Fitch,though, is a perect example o someone who understands this and works each andevery day to become the best that she can be.”
Amy Bright Principal Oak Hill Elementary
10
Finalist
Kate Houston
Teacher of the Year
First Coast High SchoolEnglish/Language ArtsPrincipal: Vincent Hall
Education
M.A., University o FloridaB.A., University o Florida
Highlights
•
9 years o teaching experience
•
2003-2004 – Palm Bay High School enth Gradeeacher o the Year
•
2002-2003 – Department o Romance Language and Literature Cooperativeeaching AwardMs. Houston describes hersel as a statistic. She is one o the ty percent o new teachers who leave the proession in the rst ve years. She goes on to describe how she missed the children; the sense o accomplishment in June when the last grade isentered and the rhythm o lie associated with the fow o the school year. oday,Ms. Houston describes hersel as a career educator and a lietime student. She strivesto be the kind o teacher who can make a believer out o any child, regardless o background.In order to accomplish her goal, Ms. Houston works to tie the inormation sheimparts in the classroom to her students’ lives outside the classroom. She works witha team o teachers to ensure her students will leave high school compassionate, caringadults prepared or college or a career. In addition to classroom work, Ms. Houstonestablished a Poetry Caé where students are ree to share original poetry or a avoriteverse. Te newly ormed Writers Anonymous Club holds bi-monthly meetings andhosts a all “poetry slam.” Ms. Houston also helped ound First Coast’s InteractChapter whose members volunteer monthly to eed the homeless at the SulzbacherCenter. And her Campus Clean-Up Initiative hosts a volunteer cleanup each seasono the year. Ms. Houston also serves as the lead teacher or the English 10 team andher SLC.Ms. Houston sees teaching as a vocation rather than a job. She is proud o herstudents’ successes and works everyday to nurture a desire to learn in each o them.“Ms. Houston has discovered ulllment through the opportunity to reach, and toteach, our students.”
Vincent Hall Principal First Coast High School
11
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Finalists for the Florida Blue 2012 Duval County Teacher of the Year
Read the biographies of the finalists for the 2012 Duval County Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced on Thursday, March 8 at the EDDY Awards in Jacksonville, Florida. The EDDY Awards are a joint venture of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund and the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership.
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