Ingredients for a
Teacher of the Year Compassion, flexibility and creativity
By Corinne Zola
M
ore than 200 fourth and fifth grade students from Hillcrest Elementary School in Peekskill, N.Y., formed a circle around the edges of their cafeteria and began to sing. “… We will remember the special moments you gave to us … We will let your light shine on, your star will guide the way …” The song was written just after the tragedy at Sandy Hook School by Hillcrest assistant principal Crystal Hernandez and her then students as a way to process their grief and shock. It is now taught to all students at the school these many years later and sung for special occasions. Today was just such a day. On this particular day, Christopher Albrecht, the 2018 New York State Teacher of the Year, was making a special visit to Hillcrest, bringing along his own brand of energy, care and enthusiasm for teaching to their classrooms. “I have never been sung to and I am touched by the wonderful welcome sign,” says Albrecht, a teacher at Fred H. Hill School in Brockport, N.Y., near Rochester, as he gestures to the 8-foot hand-decorated sign on the cafeteria wall that reads: Welcome Mr. Albrecht! He went on to say, “What you have created is so inspiring and positive and your song has already put a lot of joy in my heart.” Being of service In his role as Teacher of the Year, Albrecht decided the best way to serve the schools of New York would be to visit directly with students across the state. Hillcrest is one of his very last school visits after a year of seeing more than 76 elementary schools and over 400 classrooms across New York state. Hillcrest marks his first visit to a school in Westchester County. “In Christopher’s initial email offering
18
Westchester Family | February 2019
A Reading List from the Teacher of the Year Following are the books that Albrecht shared with students he met over the course of the year (listed here in order for youngest to more experienced readers): • The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats (Viking) • The Biggest Apple Ever, Steven Kroll (Scholastic) • The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn and Ruth E. Harper (Tanglewood) • Three Times Lucky, Sheila Turnage, (Puffin Books) • Mouse and the Motorcycle, Beverly Cleary (HarperCollins) • Runaway Ralph, Beverly Cleary (HarperCollins) • Stone Fox, John Reynolds Gardiner (HarperCollins) • The One and Only Ivan*, Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins) • The BFG, Roald Dahl (Puffin Books) • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis (HarperCollins) *If Albrecht had to choose only one of these books to share, The One and Only Ivan would be it. The book is based on the true story of a lowland gorilla kept in captivity in a shopping mall. The point of the story is that even when life offers the worst, resiliency is possible. Albrecht’s decision to use this book was intentional based on the fact that he feels that, “bouncing back up after being knocked down is an important trait that needs to be developed in our students.”
to visit our school, he said he just wanted to come spend time with us and spread a little joy,” says Principal of Hillcrest Elementary School, Randy Lichtenwalner. “He more than lived up to that. His patience and positivity, as well as his flexibility in reading the students’ moods or interests are the mark of a good teacher. He made connections with our students, supported their thinking, boosted confidence, and made a truly positive impact in a very short period of time.” Albrecht visited six classrooms over the course of the day that offered a snapshot of the broad range of learning styles at Hillcrest including fourth and fifth grade general education classes, dual language classes and
self-contained special education classes. What is the Teacher of the Year program? Each year, New York state recognizes one exceptionally skilled and passionate educator as Teacher of the Year. The New York State Teacher of the Year program, now in its 49th year, is administered by the New York State Education Department. Nominations for the position can come from anyone, including school administrators, fellow teachers, students and parents. The honored educator serves as an ambassador for all New York State teachers and participates in professional development and speaking events through