Outstanding Teachers of the Month
- March 2004
Ernestine Belton
Principal: Karen Underwood
Superintendent's Name: Laura Rodrique
Name of School: Community School 152
School District/Region: 8/2
Student Progress: Mrs.Belton has
demonstrated an overall sense of pride and commitment to
her students, something I observed these two years I've served
as principal. She takes her
time to work with her students, she gives up her lunch period
and prep periods everyday to encourage, discipline and reward
her students. She is a highly structured teacher from
the old school of teaching. She closely monitors all
of her children performance and can articulate with you exactly
what a child may need and how she plans to help her students. She
uses data as an assessment tool to further her cause. Yet she
is receptive to new ideas. Her students, from the most
difficult to the sweetest, show her love and respect. As
they travel through the building, you do not hear them nor
do you hear Mrs. Belton. She walks with a very soft step
and it is carried through with her students. Her class
is very distinct. It is known throughout the building.
Innovative Teaching
Strategies: Her strategies are not very innovative but they are productive. She
gets results from children of all levels. She is more practical
and does not waste time. Again, she is structured and rigid,
but fair and flexible. Through the ongoing level of respect,
her children excel.
Motivating Students: Over the last two years she has encountered
some difficult children. The transformation of these children
once being with Mother Belton is unbelievable. One student,
who was with her last year and was excellent, is a serious
problem this year. She was the only person who stood between
him and special education.
Parent/Community
Involvement: Mrs.
Belton reaches out to parents when students are good and
bad; when they experience success and when they experience
failure. She believes in parental
support and demands it from the parents. She is highly
respected in this community. The parents are involved
in her assembly performances, class trips, cultural feast,
and the educational process of their children.
Name of nominator: Karen Underwood, Principal
Josephine Coskie
Principal: Dr. Ellen Margolin
Superintendent's Name: Mr. Reyes Irizzary
Name of School: P.S. 88
School District/Region: 24/4
Student Progress: It is with great
pride that I nominate Mrs. Josephine (Jo) Coskie as our "Teacher of the Month".
Mrs. Coskie has been a teacher of
special education children for more than three decades. The
majority of Mrs. Coskie's career has been spent helping developmentally
challenged children to become happy, productive members of
our society. More recently she has undertaken the extraordinary
responsibility of serving as health coordinator for our school's
very large special needs population. In this capacity she
ensures that the individual needs of every child are met
whether in an integrated or self-contained setting. From
early morning to late afternoon, and sometimes into the early
evening and on weekends too, Mrs. Coskie can be found at
school, diligently undertaking one task or another to help
the children.
As a result of her involvement with the students, their self-esteem
and self-confidence have dramatically improved. This has carried
over to their classwork. The children are better able to focus
and complete tasks. Their homework is done more regularly and
their ability to work with their peers has improved.
Innovative Teaching
Strategies: Mrs. Coskie is not only brilliant,
but also devoted, dedicated, and committed to the children
and their teachers. She is absolutely passionate about her
job and it is this passion, which shows through in everything
she does. But the most striking aspect of Mrs. Coskie's success
is the quality of the educational environment she provides
for the more than 100 children with IEP's.
Mrs. Coskie confers with classroom teachers on strategies
to meet the children's individual needs. She guides the teachers
in the use of techniques of direct instruction and the Wilson
Program, among others.
Motivating Students: During a recent
review of our integrated program by the New York State Department
of Education, the monitors were overwhelmed by what they
saw. Their adjectives to describe our program included "awesome", "wonderful", "terrific",
and indeed everything about what Ms. Coskie does, certainly
is.
Their assessment was based on the
monitors' visits to several
classrooms in which they saw the children engaged in all classroom
activities. The children worked cooperatively in small group
activities in some rooms, and worked individually in others.
In some cases the children were part of whole group lessons
and were clearly integrated into every phase of the educational
environment. Clearly the emphasis was on "academic rigor"–the
children certainly met our expectations.
Parent/Community
Involvement: A
highlight of Mrs. Coskie's week is the vocational program
she has developed. Several times during the year, the students
in our "Crafts Incorporated-Kids
in Business" create, manufacture and sell seasonal crafts
throughout the school. Begun with only a small "start
up" fund of $50.00, the children have already earned more
than $500.00.
Sold to the parents and members
of the community, making these crafts helps the children
improve their reading skills (following directions), their
fine and large motor skills, socialization skills and math
skills (profit margin, net gain, banking, etc.). This
venture is also one that has become a motivating force for
students who receive related services. Their therapists
have incorporated the skills required to create the crafts
into their sessions.
P.S. 88 is extremely proud of what
our special needs children have accomplished. Its success
is because of the hard work and efforts of Mrs. Coskie, who
firmly believes in the worth of every child regardless of
his handicapping condition. P.S. 88 considers it a privilege
and honor that Mrs. Coskie shares her talents and wisdom
with us. We also would like to
acknowledge Jo's husband, Edward whose support of his wonderful
wife has allowed us to benefit from her kindness and intelligence.
Name of nominator: Dr. Ellen Margolin, Principal
Danielle DeMartini
Principal: Audrey Murphy
Superintendent's Name: Joseph F. Quinn
Name of School: P.S. 16Q
School District/Region: 24/4
Student Progress: Mrs. DeMartini
had a third grade class performing below grade level. Most
of the students were nonreaders and underachievers. She worked
so hard with these students last year that she decided to
move up to fourth grade with them. Each student scored above
and beyond expectations on both the third grade math and
reading test at the end of third grade (with many scoring
3's and 4's). Today these students have shown tremendous
improvement in all subject areas. Their classroom portfolios
are filled with evidence of how much each student has grown
as a learner. No longer are these students
at risk but performing well above those of their peers.
Innovative Teaching
Strategies: Mrs. DeMartini goes above and beyond in her classroom teaching
techniques. Currently
her class has been studying volcanoes and have put together
an amazing presentation on Hyper Studios. Walking into
her classroom, students are in every nook and cranny working
diligently. Her laptops are always out with students
researching or publishing.
Her class won second prize in the
district's Math, Science, and Technology fair for their work
with roller coasters. They
spent weeks focusing on just roller coasters. Through the Internet,
they made computer models, researched different kinds of coasters,
and made many different graphs during math. Her eight year
olds could explain the difference between kinetic and potential
energy in science. Her students divided into groups and they
made models of roller coasters with tubing!
Motivating Students: Mrs. DeMartini consistently goes over
the top to provide unique themes to capture her student's attention.
They are so intrigued and excited about learning. Her units
are always students selected in order to make their learning
more meaningful. They have studied units on reptiles, Ancient
Rome, Native Americans, roller coasters, and so on. Using her
understanding of multiple intelligences she always plans with
her students' strengths in mind.
Parent/Community
Involvement: Mrs.
DeMartini has a wonderful rapport with her students' parents.
Her parents have her phone number and she calls every two
weeks to update the parents on their student's accomplishments. Parents are always
willing to accompany this class on their trips to the Cloisters,
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Native American Museum, etc. Mrs.
DeMartini also helped organize a 4th grade ELA night for parents
that was quite successful. Mrs. DeMartini has also invited
their Assemblyman, Jose Peralta, to read to her class. She
goes out of her way to involve her parents and community leaders
in her classroom adventures.
Name of nominator: Elaine Iodice
Olga Economos
Principal: Robert Zweig
Superintendent's Name: Dr. Lester Young
Name of School: Offsite Educational Services
School District/Region: Alternative Programs District 79/Region
11
Student Progress: Ours is an unusual
program; students that are no longer wanted by their high
schools are sent to us. The
students involved all have histories of excessive absence,
failing grades, some school suspensions and occasional encounters
with the law. Ms. Economos, along with two other teachers at
our Hartley House site, has worked to create a sense of welcome
and safety, along with academic challenges that have shaped
numbers of now successful students. Progress here is
measured in passing grades, 80+ attendance, and impressive
portfolios that detail a progression of quantity and quality
work. This may not sound as impressive as some other, easier
to measure gains made by more traditional schools, but these
reluctant scholars it indicates a complete change in focus
and attitude.
Innovative Teaching
Strategies: Ms. Economos is the English and Social Studies teacher at
O.E.S. @ Hartley House. Daily
she prepares intricate and well thought-out cross-disciplinary
lessons that keep the students fully and actively engaged;
filling gaps in lower level skills while developing higher-level
thinking processes. Themes from a novel are typically combined
with current events, essay development, global history and
geography. Student presentations to the class, group activities,
class discussions and lunchtime tutorials are just some of
the methods employed by Ms. Economos.
Motivating Students: Ms. Economos
has "it"; that
inexplicable thing that makes a really good teacher. Ms. Economos
has the motivation and desire to do the best she can for our
students and she encourages them to do the best for themselves. Students
that previously cut school almost every day for years now attend
class daily, often choosing to stay in the classroom doing
work during lunch period. Ms. Economos has further engaged
the students by matching them with French pen-pals and teaching
them French. I often send Ms. Economos students that are causing
difficulties at other sites, knowing that the classroom community
that she has worked so hard to create can soften the toughest,
most hurt students, and help them find themselves.
Parent/Community
Involvement: Besides our program sponsored
parent activities, Ms. Economos and the teachers at Hartley
House spend uncountable hours making contact with the parents
of our students. Initially, parents seem reluctant to develop
relationships with the site teachers, as they have often had
less-than positive relationships with their children's schools
in the past. Ms. Economos takes time daily to make positive
phone reports as well as simply informational calls, helping
parents to feel safe as well. Additionally, Ms. Economos works
with the Hartley House agency to place students as counselors
in their community after-school program.
Name of nominator: Elisa
Aragon, Assistant Principal, Offsite Educational Services
Daniel Jaye
Principal: Stanley Teitel
Superintendent's Name: Peter Heaney
Name of School: Stuyvesant HS
School District/Region: Region 9
Student Progress: Students in Mr. Jaye's Math Research class
have regularly captured numerous medals in the prestigious
NYC Math Fair. Mr. Jaye is also the executive director of the
NYC Math Team, which has captured Gold Medals in the last 5
State Championships, and he is the director of the CCNY Scholars
Academy in Mathematics and Science, which has been featured
in Education Update (see August 2002 article by Tom Kertes).
Innovative Teaching
Strategies: Mr. Jaye uses cutting edge
technology to inspire students. He presides over an exciting
class, enriching the content through the thoughtful use of
technology including Geometers' Sketchpad and Mathematica that
makes mathematics come alive to an audience of wide-eyed students.
Motivating Students: Mr. Jaye's classroom is unique. Students
are actively engaged in high order learning as the beauty of
mathematics is revealed through the artful orchestration of
speculation and discovery.
Parent/Community
Involvement: Daniel
Jaye's class spent countless hours studying polyhedra. He
then taught a lesson on the Japanese art of Origami paper
folding. The class constructed literally hundreds of intricate "Stellated Icosaheda," sixty
sided figures using a modular origami technique. These incredible
artworks were then donated, at Christmas, to the pediatric
ward at Beth Israel Hospital Center, where these figure delighted
the young (and not so young) patients. Lori Burns, the head
of the volunteer unit that oversaw the distribution of the "origami
treats," indicated that they brought a warmth and renewed
spirit to the children. This was a heartwarming act of kindness
that made our students more aware of those less fortunate than
themselves. I urge you to contact Ms. Lori Burns to learn of
the wonderful acts of kindness that Mr. Jaye's classes bestow
upon the infirmed children every Christmas. This is just one
of many examples of his community involvement. His work as
director of the CCNY Scholars Program, providing enrichment
to motivated students, citywide, is another example of his
community involvement. I can think of countless other activities
that make Mr. Daniel Jaye an outstanding candidate for your
teacher of the month.
Name of nominator: Stanley Teitel, Principal
Lisa Lafontant
Principal: Mrs. Anita Garcia
Superintendent's Name: Myrta Rivera
Name of School: P.S. 329
School District/Region: 21/7
Student Progress: Ms LaFontant is
presently working as our Magnet Teacher. She is coordinating classes who do Innovative
Teaching Strategies. She has created and maintains our Surfside
School Store, coordinates our monetary system-THE SURFSIDE
DOLLAR, our Surfside Dancers, who perform during our various
programs, she coordinates the Student Organization including
elections, meetings, projects etc., coordinates our gardening
program in conjuction with Home Depot, our partnership with
the Brooklyn Cyclones and a long list of activities!
Motivating Students: In every instance, Ms. Lafontant motivates
the students to be involved in every activity listed above.
Parent/Community
Involvement: The
Magnet Program that
includes The Cyclones, Home Depot, Brooklyn Arts Council, The
New York Aquarium, Mark Twain School for the Gifted and many
more.
Name of nominator: Mrs.
A. Garcia (Principal)
Barbara Morochnick
Principal: Elba Lopez
Superintendent's Name: Irma Zardoya
Name of School: PS 33
School District/Region: Region 1
Student Progress: Ms. Morochnick
has been a leader in our fourth grade classrooms. She has
designed an effective program to help our students improve
their writing skills. Because of her academic rigor and her
dedication every year, we have very good results on the students
ELA test. The students
learn to evaluate their own work and have learned the rubrics
to determine if their writing meets the standards of excellence.
Innovative Teaching
Strategies: Mrs. Morochnick co-teaches in every fourth grade classroom.
She provides staff development for our fourth grade staff.
She is an expert in testing and evaluation and on how to
use assessments to improve instruction. She
is a reading specialist and is an artist, integrating math,
science and technology with reading and writing. She leads
our fourth grade teachers, working together to design and implement
best teaching practices. Mrs. Morochnick plans and leads the
4th grade conferences and she brings new ideas and methods
to improve the reading and writing for all our fourth grade
students.
Motivating Students: Our students
consistently do well on the ELA test. We have very good attendance
and studentsÕ participation
in every classroom. Our students publish books of poetry and
write book reports and conduct research to support their writing.
Parent/Community
Involvement: Mrs. Morochnick teaches an English
as a Second Language class for parents, she designed a program
in which the children read poetry to their parents and she
meets once a week with parents to borrow books from our school
library. We offer workshops to teach parents on how to help
their children at home. She has designed a program to celebrate
the achievement of our students with music, food and dance.
She displays the picture and the scores of all the students
who have shown improvement on their ELA and math test.
Name of nominator: Elba
Lopez
Elyse Stefanishin
Principal: Mrs. Jeanette Sosa
Superintendent's Name: Reyes Irizarry
Name of School: PS 151k
School District/Region: 32/4
Student Progress: Ms. Stefanishin
is not currently a classroom teacher. During her thirty-six
year career, she has taught fourth, fifth and sixth grades.
Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to place her in the
position of Staff Developer. In
this role she has been able to share her expertise with many
staff members. She has partnered with our Teachers' Center
Specialist to focus on the fourth grade, providing demonstration
lessons, as well as rest sophistication to the students
in preparation for the quite important English Language Arts
examination.
Through her intervention, our school-wide
scores have improved each year, resulting finally this year,
in our being removed from the "schools in need of improvement" list
as documented by the New York State Department of Education.
Innovative Teaching
Strategies: As Staff Developer, Ms. Stefanishin has been well-trained
in the latest techniques as recommended by Teachers' College
and literacy specialist Lucy Calkins. Ms. Stefanishin is
a superb Staff Developer and besides modeling the latest
strategies with the students for the staff, she implements
them in her own instructional program during the day and
after school as well. Each year, Elyse teaches in an after-school
assignment where she uses her skills and strategies with
the lowest performing students in the fourth grade and consistently
raises at least to another quartile. Each
spring, she takes our data home where she spends long hours
preparing an in-depth analysis of student achievement and how
to best keep improving.
Motivating Students: Often I have
heard from our students that things are "finally clear" to them after Ms.
Stefanishin has spent some time in their room for a series
of demonstration lessons. Her after-school class has near-perfect
attendance. The students quickly see that they are being
instructed by a master teacher who makes learning both enjoyable
and profitable. It pleases her a great deal to work with a
struggling reader and to see him/her able to read with confidence,
get promoted and see that child placed in a higher achieving
class.
Parent/Community
Involvement: As
Staff Developer, Ms. Stefanishin interacts primarily with
staff and students. However, periodically she has the opportunity
to work with the parents, addressing them at meetings to
explain the format of the latest test, to explain the newest
strategies being implemented at our school or giving them
tips on how to best help their children with homework and
in preparation for upcoming tests. Day or
night, Ms. Stefanishin never fails to extend herself. The needs
of the school, children and community are her paramount interest.
Name of nominator: Mrs. Jeanette Sosa, Principal
