ALACHUA COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – Three Alachua County teachers are waiting to find out if they will be the district’s Teacher of the Year.
Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) will reveal the winner at a ceremony this Thursday, Jan. 25.
The finalists are:
- Dwynette Smith, music teacher at Metcalfe Elementary School
- Sarah Rendek, a reading teacher at High Springs Community School
- Jenifer Knowles, a science teacher at the Professional Academies Magnet @ Loften High School
The district provided a brief on each educator in a news release:
Dwynette Smith
The elementary finalist has been teaching music in private settings and public schools since 1998. She’s been teaching at Metcalfe for nearly four years, and also spent six years at Buchholz High School. She says music can be a ‘spark,’ a catalyst for students to succeed in other areas.
“I love giving them that joy, that place where they can be successful,” she said. “Even when you have a child that’s struggling, to have that one victory, where they can play the notes you want, play their own melody or create something that they know is theirs, there’s nothing that can compare.”
Sarah Rendek
The middle school finalist has been a teacher for more than 13 years, more than eight of them at High Springs, where she teaches reading. She says she loves teaching middle school students, who are starting to consider who they are and where they want to go in life.
“I want to be a light in their lives, their positive role model and their cheerleader,” she said. “In class I give them the freedom to express themselves, which allows them to grow as human beings, but also under the guidance of appropriate expectations.”
Jennifer Knowles
The high school finalist has been teaching science for 19 years in a variety of locations, including Michigan and even in New Zealand. In Alachua County, she taught at Oak View Middle in Newberry in addition to the three years she’s been at PAM@Loften. She wants her students to understand that science and learning in general is ongoing.
“I’m excited to share science with my students,” said Knowles. “It’s important for them to see how what they’re learning translates to life outside the classroom. Sometimes the content lends itself well to this goal and other times the less are in life, technology, collaboration or other soft skills.”
ACPS says three finalists and 36 other nominees from Alachua County Public Schools will be honored at the upcoming Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year ceremony, which is named after the former Superintendent of Schools who established the program.
The district says the winner will go on to represent the district in the state recognition program.