Supt. Barresi remarks on National Teacher Appreciation Day
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 6,
2014) — In recognition of National
Teacher Appreciation Day, Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi is
urging all Oklahomans to show their gratitude.
“Teaching takes a special
kind of person with great intelligence and heart. We’re lucky to have many
truly remarkable teachers in Oklahoma, and I hope we all take the time to show
our gratitude for them. Honestly, I’d hope every day is Teacher Appreciation
Day,” Superintendent Barresi said.
This entire week, in fact,
is observed nationally as Teacher Appreciation Week.
This morning, Barresi
visited teachers at Shidler Elementary School in south Oklahoma City. It was a
bit of a homecoming for the superintendent, who had done her student teaching
there back in the 1970s.
With Principal Beth Steele
leading the way, Barresi sat in on a remedial reading class. Reading Specialist
Liz Davis employed an instructional reading program, Structured Language
Basics, for a small group of children.
The next stop was the
third-grade class of Alana LaFon, who led the class in a discussion about The
Chocolate Touch, a book they have been reading. She asked students to use a
finger to write on their foreheads how they would rate the book.
“Zero if you despise it,”
the teacher said, “or 1, 2 or 3 if you like it.” To the untrained eye, no child
appeared to write an invisible “0.”
The superintendent’s visit
ended in a pre-kindergarten class. Kids sat, legs crossed, in a circle while
teacher Amy Castleman led them through a host of words that include the letter
“X.” The kids later paired off in groups of two for more word-centric
questions.
They performed admirably.
“Give your partner a ‘High-10!’” Ms. Castleman exclaimed.
Barresi was impressed by
the teachers’ ingenuity and enthusiasm.
“Teachers are the
heartbeat of our schools. They bring not only skill and knowledge, but also
passion and enthusiasm,” she said. ”These teachers here at Shidler demonstrated
that today. It’s invigorating to meet such great, dedicated educators. There
are some wonderful things happening here.”
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