Get Schooled: What Makes These Teachers the Best

By Amber Lester Friday, May 21, 2010

One taught her third-graders a unit on pirates’ roles in world exploration. One managed to pass her love of math to students struggling to grasp the concepts. One initiated a high school orientation program that introduces ninth-graders to their new school.

They are Williamsburg-James City County’s teachers of the year – Andrea Alley, Meghan Lunsford and Kelley C. Clark. The winners were announced Thursday and celebrated with a ceremony and reception hosted at SunTrust Bank in New Town by the Williamsburg-James City County Education Foundation (WJCEF).

Aside from being honored with the reception, teachers received $500 each and an apple trophy. “All of us have had teachers that, when we look back over our school years, inspired and encouraged us to be what we are today,” said Clifford Firstenberg, WJCEF president, in a statement.

Andrea Alley was selected as the Teacher of the Year for elementary schools. The Matthew Whaley Elementary Visions Specialist works with students who need to be challenged academically. Alley designs creative lesson plans for gifted learners. Lessons this year have included the fifth grade’s “Pi Day,” a day devoted to the abstract concept of Pi, and a study of the historical significance of DNA and the moral questions surrounding genetic alterations of plant genes.

A parent nominator wrote of Alley, “The energy and creativity that she brought to the Visions program is nothing short of extraordinary.” Alley has taught for 27 years; she holds a master’s degree in teaching at the elementary level from the Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Co. and a bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Co.

Meghan Lunsford, the teacher of the year for middle schools, specializes in making math interesting to even the most uninterested students at Toano Middle School. Her nominator said, “She makes the learning atmosphere exciting, youthful, fun and current. Her rapport with each individual child makes them feel that they are being heard, and it allows them to feel confident and safe when asking for help.”

This year, Lunsford was asked to participate in a William and Mary project to develop case studies of how exemplary technology-using teachers integrate technology into the classroom. Her final product is being used in technology integrations classes to help future teachers plan their curricula.

Lunsford holds Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and interdisciplinary studies from Old Dominion University. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2001 at Poquoson Elementary School.

Kelley Clark, the high school teacher of the year, teaches math at Jamestown High School. She also serves as leader of the welcome committee. This year, she worked with juniors and seniors to create the “O-Crew” to orient ninth-graders to the school.

Her nominators consistently wrote about Clark’s efforts to go above and beyond her job description. She writes 75 individual handwritten notes to her students and their families at the end of each semester, and always remains after school to assist students. One nominator wrote, “She is one of the very few teachers who, quite literally, will stop at nothing to help her students achieve. Kelley Clark exemplifies what WJCC schools can and should expect from master teachers.”

Clark has taught in WJCC schools for nine years, including positions at James Blair, Toano and Berkeley Middle schools. She holds masters and bachelor’s degrees in education from the College of William and Mary and Grove City College in Pennsylvania. She also serves on the board of directors for DreamCatchers therapeutic riding center in Toano.

TNCC offers simulation camp
Thomas Nelson Community College will offer a Modeling and Simulation Camp (MOD SIM) to rising high school juniors and seniors interested in computer modeling and simulation in engineering and design.

The weeklong camp will feature presentations and workshops from TNCC professors, content area professionals and specialists in areas of simulation and gaming, engineering technology and related fields. Students will learn about existing and future jobs that use modeling and simulation, including Homeland Security, virtual environments, social sciences, medicine, game-based learning and business and supply chain modeling.

The camp is free, thanks to funding from the Altria Grant. It will be hosted on the TNCC Hampton Campus from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 21-25. The application deadline is June 1. Download the registration form here.

PTAC elects new members
The Parent-Teacher Association Council elected its new members at a May 10 meeting. The members are Lisa Ownby, Anthony Mungin, Patrick Sensiba, Jennifer Taylor, Jim Coffey and Amy Hansen.

The PTAC is a group of PTA representatives from every school in the district, and serves as a liaison between the state’s PTA and the school-level PTAs. The council also interacts with the school board and administration, bringing issues to their attention and gathering information. The PTAC has six leadership positions, all with two-year term limits. Each school has a liaison representative, a position that does not have a term limit.