On August 13, Kingsley Elementary teacher Molly Dunham received her Regional Teacher of the Year award.
The third-grade teacher was selected as the best educator in all of Northern Michigan. She and nine other finalists were recognized at a ceremony in Lansing, Michigan at the Michigan Department of Education.
Mrs. Dunham, a native of Kingsley, Michigan has been teaching at Kingsley Elementary for 29 years and will serve as curriculum director for this school year. Her extensive resume of leadership and curriculum experience includes being one of four teachers in Michigan to edit and re-write third and fourth grade test questions for the Smarter Balanced Math Assessment which later became the MSTEP state standardized test.
"Mrs. Dunham goes above and beyond both in and out of her classroom. She not only supports the students but the new staff development. We are so lucky to have her,” said Kingsley Elementary Principal Kristin Goethals.
In her application essay to the Michigan Department of Education, Mrs. Dunham says she focuses on three things in her classroom: creating a comfortable atmosphere, using a variety of teaching techniques, and integrating subject matter to make cross-curricular connections.
“My favorite part of teaching is watching the light bulbs turn on, and having hard conversations with kids. By that, I mean challenging them to think about hard concepts and thinking analytically,” said Mrs. Dunham. “The culture of Kingsley Elementary is to set high expectations, so our students will achieve more.””
“As a regional Teacher of the Year honoree, I’m really excited to share the good things we’re doing here in Kingsley, and to network with people across the state to bring new ideas back to our school.”
Congratulations, Mrs. Dunham!
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