{"id":2691,"date":"2016-05-06T10:18:19","date_gmt":"2016-05-06T18:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communications.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us\/wpmu\/?p=2691"},"modified":"2016-05-06T10:18:19","modified_gmt":"2016-05-06T18:18:19","slug":"2016-kenai-bp-teacher-of-the-year-sharon-hopkins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpbsd.org\/schools\/comm-test\/2016\/05\/06\/2016-kenai-bp-teacher-of-the-year-sharon-hopkins\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Kenai BP Teacher of the Year | Sharon Hopkins"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sharon Hopkins \u2013 Tustumena Elementary School, Kasilof, Alaska
\n2016 Kenai BP Teacher of Excellence, and Kenai BP Teacher of the Year<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"sharon\"<\/a>
Sharon Hopkins \u2013 Tustumena Elementary School, Kasilof, Alaska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI am inspired by the children in my classroom,\u201d said Sharon Hopkins. \u201cWhen first graders become confident readers it changes them. Every year I\u2019m rewarded with this process when each student blossoms into a reader. Plus, I\u2019m always appreciative that I\u2019m a teacher at Tustumena Elementary as I work with a talented, inspiring staff that does whatever it takes to educate and enrich the lives of our children.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sharon Hopkins, 2016 Kenai BP Teacher of the Year<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s nominees were again, an excellent representation of our staff as a whole,\u201d said Sean Dusek, superintendent. \u201cThey are humble, hard-working and student-centered. I was particularly impressed with how all of the finalists have gone the extra mile for their students and make sure every student they work with know that they are loved. Mrs. Hopkins truly exemplifies what we expect from all of our teachers. She holds high expectations for all of her students, helps every student meet those expectations, makes sure parents are engaged, and truly cares about the individual student beyond academics. She is a gem who has positively impacted hundreds of children in her career and this award is very well deserved!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To introduce the 2016 Kenai BP Teacher of the Year, Stan Bennion, Vice-President of Human Resources, BP Alaska, said, \u201cThis teacher sets expectations for her students and inspires those kids to rise to meet them.<\/p>\n

The principal said, \u201cNobody leaves that classroom without being a reader, regardless of their ability level when they start.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This teacher is dedicated to preparing kids not only for their future education, but for their whole lives.
\nThe ability to read well is fuel to all other learning. The teacher achieves such great results by getting to know the kids well, what their abilities are, where they\u2019re coming from, what they bring to the class.
\nThis teacher is more than part of the school, they\u2019re part of the community, engaging parents in the education of their children. Some of this teacher\u2019s students are the children of former students. That\u2019s a powerful, long-term effect on a community.
\nThis teacher is beloved.
\nBut it\u2019s more than just personality-this teacher is uniquely capable of motivating young students.
\nThe principal says, \u201cWe have the floor, which is our state standards all students have to get to. But this teacher\u2019s target is way above that.\u201d
\nThis teacher knows the kids so well, lessons specifically match learning to the child\u2019s skill level and interests. The result is they\u2019re thirsty to learn.
\nThis teacher routinely goes beyond what is required or even what is expected and educates with the goal of helping every child find a path to success.
\nFinding that path is the very reason we have teachers.
\nLadies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I introduce the 2016 BP Teacher of the Year from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Sharon Hopkins.
\n

\"Sharon<\/a>
Sharon Hopkins, 2016 Kenai BP Teacher of the Year<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

2016 Kenai BP Teacher of Excellence<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sharon is a first-grade teacher at Tustumena Elementary in Kasilof where she has been at the heart of the small town of Kasilof for 23 years.
\nSharon approaches education by first motivating her students with enthusiasm for learning. She designs lessons that are hands-on to make classwork fun for them. The way she does this is quite simple, and it is an inherent facet of who she is as a person\u2013she herself is enthusiastic about learning.
\nOne parent describes her as animated in class, excited about the subject matter, and that excitement is contagious, stating: \u201cShe is patient and kind while also being firm. These are young children in first grade, six and seven years old. But she communicates with them as mature little people, and they rise to the standard she sets for them.\u201d Because it is so evident that she cares for her students, they want to please her, whether that means doing a good job on a project or behaving well in class.
\nA parent describes the academic landscape at Tustumena as challenging, with a mix of every socioeconomic demographic, but Ms. Hopkins happily and successfully instructs the most academically challenged with equal attention and effectiveness as the most gifted children. She does it all with humor, knowledge and grace.
\nSharon sees a distinct benefit to teaching in the same community for more than two decades, stating: \u201cI know many of the families that attend our school. I take advantage of these connections to understand how to help children learn. Working with the children to focus on their strengths allows me to individualize to meet their learning needs.\u201d
\nShe is the bright, shining example of what an adult should be. And the children rise to meet her expectations. They look up to her for a better understanding of what is right and what is wrong, for the decent thing to do, for how to be thoughtful towards others.
\nSharon is devoted to her children in and out of the classroom. She is often the first person at school early in the morning, preparing her classroom for the day or working on volunteer efforts. She serves as the treasurer of the PTO, putting her mind to work developing fun, creative ways to raise money to augment the school\u2019s budget. She works to encourage parents to take a greater role in their children\u2019s education, often asking them to volunteer in class and on field trips. She talks with them about how important the parent\u2019s involvement is to a child. In this way, she is a teacher to the parents, as well. She directs or volunteers for the Halloween Carnival, Thanksgiving Bingo for Turkeys, cash raffle, Easter Egg Hunt, fundraising for the local Boys and Girls Club; she plans the Summer Reading Program, Box Top Store, Love of Reading Week, and more.
\nThis is a teacher who, quite simply, has determined that her purpose in life is to help children.
\nCongratulations, Sharon Hopkins, BP Teacher of Excellence.
\nLinks<\/strong><\/p>\n