Susan Geddes, Elementary Teacher of the Year
Philosophy of Teaching
She stood before us with a twinkle in her eye. "I've been
a teacher for a thousand years," she said. A genuine smile
danced across her lips as the energy in her voice
made the hair dance across my arms! I want to be a teacher
like that, I
thought. From this experienced mentor I learned lessons that
linger today: 1) how to be a child advocate …ALWAYS;
and 2) how knowing (and using) the right instructional
strategies can become a lifeline for struggling students. I saw
through this teacher's eyes how each child is a unique
blend of interests, abilities, learning styles, culture
and economic background and how
each, deserves the opportunity to succeed. There is no substitution
for KNOWING your students! I was a fourth year
teacher when this experience became the "warp" thread
woven into the tapestry that has become my philosophy.
My philosophy is a tapestry woven from experience! One
example is the lasting experience of the PISD/North
Texas Masters program. From this I learned
that teaching is NOT a spectator
sport! It is about modeling, manipulating,
exploring…sharing, singing, building (and
this is only the beginning)! Children are more
apt to construct knowledge at a deeper level when
engaged in hands-on experiences that stimulate the
senses. The classroom comes alive with self-discovery
when there is ACTIVE learning where
both teacher and students are involved. My
classroom is high energy. Readers read, writers
write and scientists do science…in
other words, children learn best by doing!
Another thing I've gleaned along the way is that
the teaching profession is NOT a
solo act. Collaboration is essential! Our
district motto reminds us, it is all about Teamwork
for Excellence! Two heads really are better
than one. Whether it's staff planning
together or students learning together, the quality
of the experience is significantly enhanced. Analytical
thought is engaged through discussion and all benefit
when a new perspective is encountered or embraced. A
single thread on a weaver's loom could never
produce a fabric of substance. Students and
teachers that work together generate feelings of
curiosity, confidence, camaraderie and success; they
weave a fabric that can endure the ages!
I teach my students that literacy and thinking
are as important to them in life as breathing. Thinking
is a lifetime strategy. I watch my students
grow in their ability to be independent learners,
problem solvers and deep thinkers. My desire is
to fan this flame EARLY and keep it going! (Something
I have more opportunity to effect in my new role
this year as a Literacy Specialist.) I want
my students to fall in love with learning; to create,
question and explore throughout their lifetime! It
is indeed a plus for our classrooms, homes and communities
to cultivate citizens with this life-long love of
learning.
I notice as I reflect on my educational philosophy,
that it has been intricately woven over time. At
the very center are differentiation, collaboration
and empowerment. In 20 years of teaching the
thread count has gone up and it has strengthened;
becoming not just a richly designed tapestry, but
a security blanket and safety net that I wrap around
myself and my students daily in the classroom. In
two weeks we will welcome our first generation of
student teachers at Hunt Elementary. I think
I might just be able to stand in front of them with
a knowing smile and say with the confidence of my
mentor, "I've been
a teacher for a thousand years and I hope to make
it
one thousand more!"
Educational / Professional Background
University Degrees
- B.S. University of Texas at Austin
- M.Ed. University of North Texas
- Student Teacher Program Texas A&M
Commerce
Teaching Experience
August 2005 to Present - Hunt Elementary
School
-
Literacy Specialist
- National Herman Method Consultant
- Delta Kappa Gamma
- Association for Texas Professional Educators
August 2002 to 2005 - Meadows Elementary School
August 1997 to 2002 - Sigler Elementary School
- First Grade Team Leader
- ATPE Region X Teacher of the Year
- Second Grade Teacher
August 1994 to 1996 - Region 10 Alternative Teacher Certification Program
August 1990 to 1998 - Hedgcoxe Elementary
- Reading Recovery Teacher
- First Grade Team Leader
- Special Education Team Leader
- Experienced Teacher of the Year Finalist, 1992
- Texas State Reading Association
1987 to 1994 - Barron Elementary School and Summer School
- Special Education Team Leader
- Special Education Teacher
- Beginning Teacher of the Year
- Summer School Special Education Teacher
- Summer School Special Education Team Leader
School
Principal's Recommendation
Susan Geddes, Literacy Specialist, is the Hunt Elementary
Experienced Teacher of the Year for the 2005-2006
school year. Mrs. Geddes teaches reading and
writing skills to students in Kindergarten-fifth
grade, Touch Phonics and Herman Reading to students
identified with dyslexia, co-chairs the Language
Arts/Reading VAT, and serves as the New Teacher Mentor
Liaison for the building. Needless to say, Mrs. Geddes
touches the lives of students, parents, and teachers
in every grade level at Hunt. Susan has been
a part of Plano ISD for 20 years and has served in
several buildings as a teacher and teach leader in
Special Education, First and Second grades, and most
recently as the Literacy Specialist at Martha Hunt
Elementary. She has been integral as a master
role model by which to guide the team leaders and
new staff at Hunt as we work together to bring a
vision of excellence and a high level of expectation
to our new school.
Love and dedication to children and the profession
of teaching shows through in everything Susan Geddes
does in her classroom. She encourages children
daily and provides an environment for each student
that instills an intense love for life-long learning.
I look forward to observing her teach any time of
the
day. Visiting her classroom is an unforgettable
experience. A lesson with Mrs. Geddes begins
like a fine tuned car, taking children from 0 to
60 mph in a flash and then keeping her foot on the
accelerator until the last few minutes of the lesson
when she eases them to a breathless stop! The
children are riveted to her words and movements.
Behavior is never a problem in her fast paced, student
involved classroom. The teaching of reading
or writing is a multi-sensory and multi-cultural
experience in her room. Children chant poems
about things to be learned and remembered, choral
read to practice fluency, mime vocabulary to make
it come alive and to have meaning, write books to
express their voice and life experiences, and the
list could go on and on. Everyone is involved
and no one is allowed to walk out of her room or
lesson feeling less than successful!
I have known Susan Geddes for many years as a teacher
and have served as her principal at three different
schools over the last eight years. She has
a passion to explore and learn new teaching tools
for reading and writing. She is sought after
by her peers to reflect on teaching ideas, model
reading and writing strategies in the classroom,
consult in matters of classroom management, and to
sit-in on difficult parent conferences. Susan
is a team player that can work quietly behind the
scenes or on center stat to help the students and
teachers at Hunt to see the vision of excellence
that we all are striving for. She is definitely
a "pacesetting" teacher who is always
ready and willing to go above and beyond an assigned
task to make the difference in the life of a child
or Hunt Elementary as a whole. It is a joy
to be her administrator and friend. Mrs. Geddes
goes far and beyond the job description of a Literacy
Specialist. Susan Geddes would represent the
Hunt Hounds and Plano ISD with dignity and a deep
understanding of the Plano educational philosophy. I
strongly urge you to consider Mrs. Geddes for the
Plano ISD Experienced Teacher of the Year. She
would be a "paws-itively" perfect choice
to represent the elementary teachers of Plano.
Sincerely,
Linda Engelking
Hunt Elementary School Principal
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