|
|
|
Beth Renshaw, Elementary Teacher of the Year
Philosophy of Teaching
I believe that teaching is both a privilege and an honor. It is the opportunity for one person, the teacher, to help others, the students, find the constructs and interrelationships between real life settings and abstract concepts. Teaching, for me, is an adventure in learning whereby I may continue my journey while bringing others along. It is an opportunity for me to explore my own curious observations about people and the world we live in while instilling in others a parallel love of lifelong learning. Learning and teaching go hand in hand. One cannot be a great teacher without also being a great student.
The Essence of Life
I suppose that because I have a degree and experience in outdoor education, I look at teaching from that vantage point. I think of the new students I receive each fall as a packet of unmarked seeds. Contained within each one – just waiting to unfold – is the essence of life. I do not know in the fall what may bloom by the spring, but I tend my garden faithfully. By planting them in a firm foundation of basic learning principles and nurturing them with books and labs, these seeds germinate and take root in the soils of science and social studies. It is my desire to see each and every seed mature and ultimately bloom with its own unique characteristics.
Some of my students become sunflowers. They face the new sun each day and follow it with a zest for more all day long. Others, like the Texas Sage, bloom only after a sprinkling of water. I sprinkle the water of confidence and personal commitment to learning often. And yes, some of my students become cacti, prickly and thorny, but with a reserve that will move them through the hard times of life ahead. I encourage them to continue to grow even in their harsh environs. Sooner or later, even the great saguaro cactus puts forth arms of growth.
Learning as a Lifelong Journey
Challenge is a fertilizer that I use judiciously – never wanting to over-fertilize and burn out my tender plants, but infusing just enough to encourage growth. I have found in my many years of teaching that challenging students to exceed their own expectations of themselves can be a mighty tool in the garden of life. I encourage my students to see learning as a life-long journey – a gift they give themselves and one which no one can take away. If they learn to see that just as plants go through cycles of new growth, maturity, and sometimes even dormancy, they too can go through these life cycles and weather each one with the promise of a new spring and opportunity for new growth. I want each of my sprouts to know that he is responsible for and accountable to himself for how well his plant will grow.
Some material my students encounter is as easily and naturally mastered as the absorption of sunshine. It is photosynthesized into sugar and used easily for growth. But some materials, like scientific methodology, hypothesis construction for science fair competition, and camp are like storm fronts moving in. They require them to fold under their leaves and use the stored sugar and knowledge that they have gained to emerge from the stormy confrontations unbroken.
Mighty Oak Tree
With some of my students who bloom too early, I find that “deadheading” their smug success with outside challenges like book clubs and Destination ImagiNation encourages new growth. And then occasionally, I find myself in the unpleasant task of dealing with lichen and moss which serve to decompose my newly planted charges. Even in these extreme conditions, I look for ways to weed out and intervene. Inevitably, my plants learn to face their challenges like public speaking, looking adults in the eyes, and becoming team players in the garden of life.
In that same garden of life, I think of myself, the teacher, as a mighty oak tree with many years of experience and learning, and yet I still stand in awe of the majestic redwood forest which beckons me to come and grow some more.
Educational / Professional Background
University Degrees
-
Bachelor of Science Parks & Recreation Administration, emphasis in Outdoor Education
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN - 1981
Teacher Certification
- National College of Education, Evanston, IL - 1985
- Team Leader Academy Training, Plano ISD - 2007
- Gifted and Talented Certification, Plano ISD - 2004
- Texas Teacher’s Lifetime Provisional Elementary (Grades 1-8)
General Certification, State of Texas - 1987
- Project W.I.L.D. Facilitator Training, Chicago, IL -1984
- Project Learning Tree Facilitator Training, Chicago, IL - 1983
Teaching Experience
- Fifth Grade Team Leader and Science Instructor - 2007 to Present
Mendenhall Elementary School, Plano ISD
- Fifth Grade Teacher and 01 Vertical Team Leader 2003 to 2007
Mendenhall Elementary School, Plano ISD
- Director and Teacher 1998 to 2003
Wesley United Methodist Church, Greenville, TX
- Pre-school and Substitute Teacher 1996 to 1998
Emory ISD, Emory, TX
- Pre-school and Substitute Teacher 1994 to1996
First United Methodist Church, Commerce, TX
- Fifth Grade Teacher and Team Leader 1993 to 1994
Barron Elementary School, Plano ISD
- Fourth and Fifth Grade Teacher 1986 to 1993
Carlisle Elementary School, Plano ISD
Educational Skills & Memberships
- Camp Director for Mendenhall Elementary - 2008 to Present
Collin County Adventure Camp, Anna, TX
- Coach, Destination Imagination 2007 to Present
Da Vinci Award Recipient and 4th Place Regional Finish, 2008 State Finalist
6th Place Finish & 1st Place Regional Finish - 2007
- Member, Delta Kappa Gamma, Plano Chapter 2006 to Present
- Independent Horse Riding Instructor - 2000 to Present
- Registrant, Texas Master Naturalist, Blackland Prairie Chapter, Plano
- Registrant, Coal Mining institute, Longview, TX 2009
- School Promotion to Recognized Status - 2008
Mendenhall Elementary School, Plano 1SD
- Science TAKS improvement from 71% to 86%
- President, Miller Grove Parent Teacher Association - 1996 to 1998
- Finalist, Teacher of the Year Award - 1988
Carlisle Elementary School, Plano ISD
- Recipient, Beginning Teacher of the Year Award - 1986
- Carlisle Elementary School, Plano ISD
- Author and Photographer - 1982
"Views of Cedar Breaks," National Parks Service Publication
School
Principal Recommendation
Dear Teacher of the Year Selection Committee:
It is my privilege and honor to recommend Mrs. Beth Renshaw for Plano ISD’s Experienced Teacher of the Year. After starting her teaching career and spending eight years at Carlisle Elementary, Mrs. Renshaw relocated to East Texas. She returned to Plano ISD five years ago to take a fifth grade position at Mendenhall. She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks and Recreation Administration with an emphasis in Outdoor Education. She gained her teacher certification as well as certifications in Project Wild Facilitation, Project Learning Tree Facilitation, Gifted and Talented Education, and recently Mrs. Renshaw attended the Plano Team Leader Academy. Her training and expertise in all of these areas has made her an anchor of learning for students and teachers in the Mendenhall community.
Beth has earned the reputation as an individual who is keenly devoted to children and their success. She is respected and appreciated by students, parents and staff for the extreme efforts that she puts into planning and providing the best for each and every student in her care. She is currently serving as the fifth grade team leader and delivers science instruction to all monolingual fifth grade students. Her contributions were vital to the impressive increase in Mendenhall’s Science TAKS scores in 2008, 86%. Statistics and scores are not the focus for Beth Renshaw.
She focuses on the students, welcoming each and every student into her room personally, each and every day. She forms strong relationships with students by doing this and by providing many other bonding activities in an academic arena. Her motivation is stirring students’ desire for learning and equipping them to become responsible young adults. Mrs. Renshaw’s outstanding knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitude, contribute to the academic excellence and success of Mendenhall Elementary School.
Beth has continued to volunteer with her own children’s activities and education, while also offering her volunteer services for activities for her students. She has been a coach for Destination Imagination for two Mendenhall teams and is continuing with one of the teams even though the students are now sixth graders at Bowman! That is just one example of her commitment to her students. Parents and students recognize and praise her willingness to go above and beyond.
Within the Mendenhall community Beth is recognized for her loyalty and dedication as well as for possessing and demonstrating the character traits of a positive role model for all. Her influence and encouragement to reach every child is so profound that she personally influences the staff of Mendenhall Elementary to build relationships with every child. She volunteers to help implement and oversee programs at Mendenhall that are making a powerful impact on student achievement. As one fellow staff member wrote when nominating Beth for TOTY, “She is an excellent example of the ‘Master Teacher’ we are reading about each week.”
It is without reservation that I recommend Beth Renshaw for Experienced Teacher of the Year. We are fortunate to have Beth in our district and our students are fortunate to have her at Mendenhall Elementary. While she has the well-being of the entire campus at heart, she is able to focus on each child as an individual. She continually makes the effort to stay actively engaged in professional and personal growth as the needs of the students of our community continue to demand excellence. If selected, I am certain that she will represent Plano ISD in an exceptional manner.
Sincerely,
Karen Noble, Principal
Mendenhall Elementary School
|
|
