Tag Archives: teachers

A passion to teach brings two new faces to Wyoming High

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Meet Art Teacher Cassandra Lawson

Regan Mead
WKTV Contributor

Cassandra Lawson (Courtesy, Wyoming Wolf Pack Press)

Cassandra Lawson loves art, but she loves teaching even more. For her, enjoying the job is the most important thing.

“If you want to be an art teacher you have to love teaching even more than you love art because it’s even more important,” Lawson said. “I think there are a lot of people that go into education who do it cause they love the art, they love science or social studies.

“Still, they don’t love teaching as much and you have to love teaching, which I do you have to be a people person. You have to talk to people all day and you’re using your brain all day long.”

Lawson went to Macomb Community College for a year and then finished off her schooling at Grand Valley State University. She majored in art education and minored in ceramics. She student taught at Grand Rapids Public Schools’ Coit Creative Arts Academy and teacher assisted here at Wyoming High School.


Lawson wanted to be a teacher originally but she added art to the title as well. She talked about the WHS’s welcoming student body.

“I love it,” she said. “I really like the student body I feel like everyone here has a sense of community and family. Everyone is really friendly. I’ve worked in other schools where everyone is pretty self-sufficient but I feel like here everyone leans on each other in a good way.”

Regan Mead is a junior at Wyoming High School. Regan is a journalism student and member of the cheer team.

Meet English Teacher Elizabeth Schoof

By Matthew Czurak
WKTV Contributor

Elizabeth Schoof (Courtesy, Wyoming Wolf Pack Press/Elizabeth Schoof)

To get to know her students, English teacher Elizabeth Schoof spent the first week of school playing fun games and activities such as the Soup-Salad-Sandwich game, where students not only learned a little about each other but also about Schoof such as her favorite book is the “Twilight”series.

“It was a good week it’s good and it was nice to get to meet and know and learn about each other,” Schoof said..

A graduate of Aquinas College, Schoof strides to be nice to all of her students and is always helpful if they are stuck or confused.

Everyone has role models and Schoof’s was her English teacher. Schoof herself not only was a student teacher, but she was also at one point a student who wanted to be a teacher. I asked her her opinion on the best first steps to becoming one.

“Pay attention to what teachers now are dealing with in the classroom cause you will deal with it too,” she said as advice to those wishing to pursue teaching as a career. “And when you are in the classroom pay attention in college.”

Before entering the field, most teachers start as student teachers, studying under other teachers. From the experience, they understand how students will think and act. I asked Ms. Schoof what her experience was like as a student teacher and if she thinks “it’s better being your own teacher.”

“It has been fun. it’s nice to be able to teach my own way without someone else controlling the classroom I like the freedom” was her reply to the question she also was a student teacher under her English teachers.

I asked Ms.Schoof what she would like people to know about her this was her response.”I like to have fun I like to talk I like to have conversations about what is going on in the world, cultures, movies all sorts of stuff”

Matt Czurak is a freshman journalism student at Wyoming High School. Matt enjoys French class.

School News Network: Recognizing school leaders

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Kelly Compher played a virtual game called ‘hanging spider’ with her students (School News Network)

Godwin Heights: ‘Doing Better’ in the classroom – conventional or virtual

According to Steve Minard, principal at North Godwin, it is this ability to unite students that makes Kelly Compher stand out among teachers: “Kelly creates a community of learners each year with every new class,” he said. Compher, a Mattawan, Michigan, native, attended Grand Valley State University and completed her student teaching in Godwin Heights before being hired as a paraprofessional at North Godwin. She then taught kindergarten for a year at Coopersville. But when a teaching position opened at North Godwin, she felt the call to return. She was hired and after seven years, she hasn’t looked back. Learn more about what makes Compher a rockstar teacher by clicking here.

Shantel VanderGalien is in the running for Michigan Teacher of the Year (School News Network)

Wyoming: English teacher named Regional Teacher of the year

Shantel VanderGalien was named 2020-2021 Regional Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Department of Education. She represents Region 3 and is among 10 teachers divided by region to receive the honor. She is now in the running for the 2020-2021 Michigan Teacher of the Year. “My goal as Regional Teacher of the Year is to be a positive voice for the students and teachers in my region and to serve them well,” she said. To learn more about VanderGalien, click here.

Glenwood Elementary second-grade teacher Lauren Heald leads her class earlier this school year using the Capturing Kids Hearts model (School News Network)

Kentwood: District honored for capturing kids hearts

Eight Kentwood Public Schools were recently named National Showcase Schools by The Flipen Group, the consulting group that provides training and resources for the Capturing Kids’ Hearts curriculum. Schools honored include Bowen, Glenwood Elementary, Meadowlawn, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavor and Southwood elementary schools, and Crestwood Middle School To learn more about the award, click here. 

GVSU Charter School Office to provide free professional education programs

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By Nate Hoekstra

GVSU

 

Starting in September, Grand Valley State University will offer free workshops and seminars to any public or private school teachers and personnel in Michigan, opening the possibility of savings on professional development for schools across the state. These learning opportunities will be provided through the university’s Charter Schools Office.

 

“All Michigan educators work hard to help students learn, and they need a place where they can share their results with each other and gain new tactics for success,” said Rob Kimball, associate vice president for charter schools at Grand Valley. “We fully believe in our state’s teachers and school leaders, and we’re stepping up to support them like never before. We know that doing so will help them achieve more for the kids their schools serve.”

 

Grand Valley has been chartering public elementary, middle and high schools since 1995, and this fall Grand Valley’s 78 charter schools will educate approximately 37,000 students. Kimball said the university’s approach to chartering has been based on the belief that a strong partnership between the university and the schools will result in the best learning environment for students. The GVSU CSO professional education offerings are an outgrowth of that partnership.

 

School teams can take part in these workshops free of charge. All workshops will be made available in Grand Rapids and Detroit.

 

“We are seeing recommendations for more high-quality professional learning from Michigan’s business leaders and K–12 advocates,” Kimball said. “At Grand Valley, we’re responding to that call in an innovative way — by offering tested, effective programming to schools and educators across the state.”

 

Kimball said the change demonstrates how the university is thinking differently about the ways it can impact public education.

 

“When we offer free programming, we offer choices. Schools can take advantage of this high-quality programming and use existing funds for other essential purposes,” Kimball said.

 

The Grand Valley Charter Schools Office has ramped up its support for educators over the past decade. During the 2017–2018 school year alone, the Grand Valley CSO provided approximately 6,300 hours of free professional education to charter school teams.

 

While new professional education workshops are being added all the time, past session topics have included:

•     NWEA™

•     Technology Tools and Tricks

•     Synthetic Phonics

•     Google Suite

•     English Language Learners (ELL)

•     Reading and Math RTI

•     Coding in the Classroom

•     Science and STEAM

•     Culture and Climate

•     Improving Student Writing

 

In addition to these public offerings, teachers at schools chartered by GVSU will also have access to enhanced professional education opportunities, including GVSU-only cohort programs and tuition support for master’s degrees offered by the GVSU College of Education.

 

Educators interested in learning more about GVSU’s free professional education programs can visit www.gvsu.edu/cso/learn.

School News Network: Tuesday Job Fair Seeks Teachers, Support Staff

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With a job fair Tuesday, March 7, Kent ISD and EDUStaff seek to increase the substitute teachers and support staff local districts badly need. The job fair takes place from 10am-2pm at Kent ISD’s administration building, 2930 Knapp Street NE, Grand Rapids, 49525.

 

EDUStaff is a Grand Rapids area company formed in 2010 to provide substitute staff for schools and works with many districts across the state. (EDUStaff is also a sponsor of School News Network.)

 

Finding substitute staff is increasingly difficult for schools, according to Kent ISD Superintendent Ron Caniff. “As Michigan’s job market has improved, our districts are having a tough time finding good staff, including subs. And these subs are a critical resource and an important part of the school family. They help students keep learning when staff are out ill, tending to the needs of their own families, or participating in the professional development that improves achievement.”

 

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.