Read
A
A
Book
Bring
It
To
School
Insurance contest
Thank A Million Teachers announces Beth Dwyer as one of the finalists eligible
to win a $2,500 grant for her proposal.
Beth Dwyer is a
15 year veteran teacher at District 194 Eastview School in Steger, Illinois.
Being a Wife and Mother did not dampen her pursuit of becoming a teacher. She
attended college knowing she had much to contribute to the lives of others. One
can only imagine the difficulty of pursuing an education while wearing so many
other hats. But she knew persistence had its rewards.
Knowing she
wanted to work with the younger children helped her stay focused and
concentrate on her goals.
As part of a
team, Beth Dwyer has proposed the RABBITS Reading Program. Aware of more than just
her students, Mrs. Dwyer acknowledging that Eastview School is 57% low income
with approximately 10% of incoming students just becoming English language
learners. The Kindergarten teachers face challenges of preparing these students
for the years ahead. RABBITS stands for
“Read A Book, Bring It To School” Kindergarten students would be sent home
twice a week with a RABBIT backpack filled with quality literature to share
with their families. The program would help to build early literacy skills in
their students, to promote family literacy activities and to improve the home
and school connection.
She brings a
unique understanding to the face of education. She has keenly observed and
connected her student’s home environment with the challenges that could turn
into obstacles if overlooked. Many have the mistaken concept that Kindergarten
is simply all play. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kindergarten sets so
many foundations of learning. It is here they learn social skills, school
routine, communication with teachers and other students, problem solving,
dealing with new experiences, respect for authority, listening skills, imagination
and creativity, learning how to be teachable and how to express themselves.
Truly that is just the tip of the iceberg; a student’s first experience with
education can set the tone for their lifelong journey of learning.
Mrs. Dwyer brings
her love of music to the classroom, expanding the experiences of her pupils.
She has learned a key to handling the challenge of Kindergarten; having a good
sense of humor and teaching her kids to have a sense of humor. She also pours
out patience to meet each child where they are at, which can be a priceless
bridge to understanding.
Dedicated to her profession, she also
serves in the Young Authors Committee. She attends conferences to keep up on
new teaching, participates in teacher blogs that promote sharing creative ideas
with other teachers. When asked about her unexpected rewards of teaching she
shared that she often hears words of praise and recognition from parents or
grown students on the impact she has had on their lives.
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