Seven West Zone teachers among Golden Apple finalists
Among the 30 Golden Apple finalists, seven are educators in West Zone schools attended by students from Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.
“All of these exemplary professionals represent the outstanding teachers who work, day in and day out, to make sure our community’s greatest asset, our students, achieve at their highest potential. Our community is indebted to them,” Marshall T. Bower, president & CEO of The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, said in a prepared statement.
The seven educators include Chelsea Chase from Bayshore Elementary School, Elizabeth Jimerson from Patriot Elementary School, Janelle Laux from North Fort Myers High School, Tiffany Moore from Caloosa Elementary School, Leanne Olmstead from Ida S. Baker High School, Krista Rivera from Gulf Elementary School, and Christine Zwaan from Skyline Elementary School.
Chelsea Chase
Chelsea Chase has entered her 10th year of teaching kindergarten at Bayshore Elementary School.
Chelsea Chase
Bayshore Elementary School
“For me being a Golden Apple finalist means that I made a difference in a child’s life enough for someone to take the time to nominate me for this award and to add to that the selection committee then chose me out of hundreds of teachers to be a representative of the amazing teachers here in Lee County,” Chase said. “This experience is very exciting for me as a teacher because I have been blessed to watch a few of my amazing coworkers/friends win this award and the foundation truly does a fantastic job of making educators feel appreciated.”
The educator engages her students through weekly themes and room transformations.
“The thing I love most about my job is building relationships with my students, families, and coworkers. They are the reason I absolutely love my job,” Chase said. “Teaching kids how to read is pretty cool, too.”
Elizabeth Jimerson
Elizabeth Jimerson, a functional skills teacher at Patriot Elementary school since 2014, works with students who range in age from 3 to 12 years old.
“Being named as a Golden Apple finalist is both an honor and a huge responsibility. My students are nonverbal, have varying medical needs and are intellectually disabled,” Jimerson said. “Most people have the misconception that my students are in a “special” school and/or just stay home. Some also write my students off by believing that they cannot learn or make any academic progress. As a Golden Apple finalist, I have the opportunity to introduce members of our community to the extraordinary things that my students are able to accomplish in this setting.”
Elizabeth Jimerson
Patriot Elementary School
Sensory activities are where this educator engages her students.
“My students tend to learn by using all of their senses. For example, a lesson on expressing a want can involve a fan and vibrating massager. The students learn to communicate what sensory input they want while making a choice of two different stimuli,” Jimerson said.
The students remain the reason why she loves her job so much.
“I love celebrating even the smallest victories with them. This week we celebrated a student rolling over independently. I had another student tolerate paint on her hands without crying. It may not seem like much, but it is why I do what I do,” she said.
With the victories, also come challenges — students’ health issues. Jimerson said they go through so much and at times it causes regression in skills that they had previously mastered.
“Watching their strength through it all is incredible. These kids are superheroes,” she said.
Janelle Laux
Janelle Laux has been a teacher in the county for 14 years. Laux began at Lehigh Senior High School for eight years before moving to North Fort Myers High School in 2018. With a BA in theater, she has taught this from the start.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized as a Golden Apple finalist. To be included in the top teachers in the district is incredible, but to be here due to my students’ kind words about me and my fellow teacher’s support is what really means the most,” she said. “I give my heart to my students in my teaching each day, so to be recognized as a finalist means that I am seen as an educator who cares, which is beyond words.”
Janelle Laux
North Fort Myers High
Laux said she would like to thank the staff at the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools for the opportunity and for creating the Golden Apple program to recognize teachers.
“It’s a great feeling to know that all the time and dedication we put into our schools and our students is recognized and appreciated by others,” she said.
As a theater teacher, Laux believes she has one of the best jobs in the field.
“I get to teach my students to be the best version of themselves each day while entertaining others with their dynamic personalities. I encourage all of my students to reach their theater goals in high school by allowing them to learn new skills, like costume design and sewing, set design and building, to choreography and directing. I feel that my students are my children and I thrive to see them succeed each day,” she said.
The love of teaching remains because she has the opportunity to interact with incredibly talented students who love attending school and expanding their passion for the arts.
“My students are all so talented that there are many days I feel like I am learning from them. My students push me to be a better teacher and I, in turn, push them to be the best they can be, both in theater and in their daily lives. I get to teach classes that students enjoy coming to, which in my opinion, makes my job the best position in the school,” Laux said.
The ripple effects of COVID still remain for the arts — how to get audiences back into the theater.
“Where we used to sell out every show, we now struggle to advertise enough to get the word out. Since we are funded by fundraising and ticket sales, it has been tough to get our account back to where it should be without the audiences that we usually have. My students and myself give our all in all performances throughout the year that when we have excited audiences to help drive the students to continue in the arts, it makes everything worth it,” she said.
Tiffany Moore
Tiffany Moore has spent 17 years teaching in the district, all at Caloosa Elementary School. For the last 12 years, Moore has been in a general education kindergarten class. Before, she was a resource teacher for third, fourth and fifth graders, pre-K varying exceptionalities and a K-2 resource teacher.
“To be named a Golden Apple finalist is an honor and means a great deal to have made it this far in the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Process. Being chosen as one of the 30 finalist gives me a sense of pride and honor at a chance to represent the educators of Lee County Schools, especially since we are often under-recognized for the foundation that public education builds for every other profession out there,” she said.
Tiffany Moore
Caloosa Elementary School
Excitement and activities are how this educator engages her students as it gets them moving and becoming involved in the learning process.
“In my kindergarten classroom, we have a hands-on approach to learning. Young learners are always excited to learn new skills or facts; however, sometimes it can be a challenge to keep them engaged in a task that might not be of preference to them,” Moore said. “We utilize movement and songs, as well as learning manipulatives which could consist of Play-Doh to make letters, words and numbers or small snacks — marshmallows, Goldfish Crackers, or small candies to complete math problems or sounding out words. I have found that the more that they can make a connection and have a hand at the learning process the more they stay engaged in our lesson.”
The enjoyment of going to work everyday stems from the people she works with, as well as her students. Moore said she enjoys watching how far her learners grow in a school year’s time educationally.
“That moment when you see their face light up because they mastered a skill they were working on and they are all excited, it is heartwarming and rewarding at the same time,” she said.
There have been challenges Moore has faced over the last few years, especially in Southwest Florida with online learning, students being home for extended periods of time for being ill after schools opened their doors fully after COVID to Hurricane Ian leaving families displaced.
“There are always challenges that happen during life, however the last few years will not be forgotten, as they have been some of the hardest,” she said.
Moore said she has had the opportunity to work with many great leaders, mentors, and coworkers during her 17 years of teaching.
“They have taught and guided me into the teacher I am today, and I am thankful for all the guidance and support along the way,” she said.
Leanne Olmstead
Leanne Olmstead moved to Lee County from Minnesota in 2016, is now teaching English Honors 2, AICE Thinking Skills and AICE Global Perspectives at Ida S. Baker High School.
“I have dedicated my entire life to teaching — this is my 24th year. Being recognized as a finalist along with the others, is a great honor, and I feel like it validates all of my hard work,” Olmstead said.
Leanne Olmstead
Ida S. Baker High School
Little activities are woven into her teaching to stimulate a variety of learning modalities, as not everyone is a “sit and get” learner.
“It is important that I include activities that appeal to a variety of learning styles,” she said.
The love of her work lies within every single day is a new day.
“I may teach the same classes year after year, but the students make every day special,” Olmstead said.
For her, the biggest challenge has been being asked to do more with less, as well as the amount of pressure being placed on both students and teachers in regard to test scores.
Krista Rivera
As a ninth-year educator in the district, Krista Rivera is now teaching fifth grade at Gulf Elementary after teaching sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade English Language Arts. Rivera said she has had the privilege of teaching at two of the incredible schools she attended as a student, as well as the honor of working alongside some of her former teachers.
“Being chosen as a Golden Apple finalist is an indescribable honor. To be considered among so many phenomenal professionals is more than I could ever ask for. I am very thankful for the support of my family, community, school, and the foundation. It truly takes a village, and I am blessed with the best one,” she said. “This is my third time being a finalist and I’m in the third trimester of my pregnancy.”
With every student being unique, Rivera said engagement may look slightly different for each of them.
Krista Rivera
Gulf Elementary School
“Some need movement while others need a creative outlet. I try to incorporate their personal interests, talents, and needs at every opportunity. Overall, I find my students are most engaged when I incorporate games, or completely immersive experiences. I also try to demonstrate the real-world application of everything we learn so they see the true value in our learning,” she said.
Rivera’s students are without a doubt the best part of her job, as she cherishes her time with each of them.
“They bring me immeasurable joy and I feel tremendous pride seeing them succeed in their endeavors in and out of the classroom. Nothing beats watching one of my students deliver an impassioned speech for the school board or getting into the school or career of their dreams. They hold a place in my heart long after they leave my classroom,” she said.
As the community has dealt with its fair share of challenges, the students, unfortunately, are not always sheltered from the impacts.
“Students have been displaced from their homes or are experiencing other family financial stresses. This doesn’t create the best learning conditions so as a school we do everything we can to help them leave their worries at the door and focus solely on their education and happiness,” Rivera said.
Christine Zwaan
Christine Zwaan is 23-year educator, eight of which have been spent in the district. She is a fifth-grade English Language Arts teacher at Skyline Elementary School. Positions previously held in Pennsylvania have included Exceptional Student Education instruction, as well serving as an ESE instructional assistant.
“It is a privilege to be honored for an award that has been in the district for 37 years. The Golden Apple process starts with a student nominating a teacher. That nomination alone is an honor to know that I made a difference to a former student. As a teacher, my mission each year is to connect with students to help them grow as a learner in academics and the world around them,” Zwaan said.
Christine Zwaan
Skyline Elementary School
Videos, real objects, sharing personal stories, real world connections and giving options for students to complete their work are ways she engages her students.
“To keep the students engaged after the lesson, I like to use collaborative conversations while students are working in pairs or groups, allow the students to get up and move around using cooperative learning, and incorporate technology, when possible,” she said.
The ability to make a difference in a child’s life is among the most rewarding parts of being a teacher.
“From the moment I meet my new students at the beginning of the year to the moment I send them off to middle school, seeing them grow and prepare for the next chapter of their lives is the best part of my job. I also enjoy working with other educators. I have met many wonderful teachers that taught me amazing things,” Zwaan said.
The challenges stem from educating students that are brand new to the country.
“Although it is a challenge, it is also rewarding to learn more about our English Language Learners. I am learning about the many different cultures around the world through my students,” she said.
Finalists are personally interviewed and observed in their classrooms by the Golden Apple selection committee. Six teachers are then selected as the Golden Apple Award recipients.
The recipients are honored at the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Banquet, a black-tie affair to be held this year at Caloosa Sound Convention Center & Amphitheater on Friday, April 19.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com