Lisa Vickers, 2nd Grade Reading/Writing Teacher

Rita Pierson, a lifelong educator, advocates that “learning sometimes occurs because someone insists that you recognize the excellence in yourself.” At Mitchell Elementary, Lisa Vickers is quite insistent…that students know their potential and that staff know their value. And learning, with both students and staff, occurs because of her persistence. We can always count on her to help others find their path to excellence.

Mrs. Vickers has designed a classroom that shouts “excellence.” It is cheery and inviting with encouragements to read splashed about everywhere. Her students embrace the high expectations for behavior and academics that she has established in the room, and she never misses an opportunity to help students find a better way to tackle their problems. She actively moves throughout the classroom to monitor students’ progress or is sitting at her teacher table empowering her students with new reading strategies. But even when working intently with students at her table, nothing escapes her attention. She shifts from the public, ” Bless you…go wash your hands” following a sneeze, to the private redirection that helps a students save face and make a better choice. She can also take the most challenging content and make it accessible and even fun for her students. They have been known to work as “surgeons” to dissect text features, scrubs and all! Students have no option but to recognize the excellence in themselves.

Mrs. Vickers doesn’t just promote excellence with her students, she inspires greatness with our staff as well. She leads by example and is always willing to step up when needed. Last year, she volunteered to call names for the car rider line, and as a result, has become a familiar face for our parents and a familiar voice for our students. She coaches and mentors new teachers each year and helps them find their own path to becoming better at their craft. She blends the humorous ironies of teaching with the idealized vision of perfection to inspire them to keep moving forward, especially when challenges sneak up on educators. Even when the papers are piled high and the meetings stack up, Mrs. Vickers can find laughter in her soul and share it with others. And she never lets an opportunity pass by to show appreciation to her co-workers. During the first week of February, Mrs. Vickers coordinated the activities so that our counselor would know how much she is loved. That is just like Mrs. Vickers..to insist that every single person knows his or her value.

You see, Mrs. Vickers is able to see the excellence in others because she has chosen a life of excellence for herself. That is her greatest gift: to help others see their greatest potential because she chooses to grow into her fullest potential. As a result, Mitchell Elementary is pleased to recognize Lisa Vickers as our February Teacher of the Month.