MARCH 2021 TEACHERS EXCELLENCE
Recognizing Excellence in Teaching Through Dedication, Compassion & Knowledge
Librarian, BeirigerElementary
School,Griffith
LAKE COUNTY
WHY TEACHING IS MORE THAN A DAY JOB:
Respectful silence is the rule in the Beiriger school library, but friendly waves from happy students speak volumes to school librarian Krystal Montes. She loves the relationships she’s built with the students, she says. “I love talking to all students and getting to know them. When I get waves in the hallways and random visits in the library just to say hi, it makes it all worth it.” Montes has worked for Griffith Public Schools for nine years. This is her first year as school librarian at Beiriger. She is a Purdue University Calumet graduate.
FAVORITE PART OF TEACHING:
“While working for Griffith Public Schools, I have been able to make so many great memories,” Montes says. “But one of my favorite things to do year after year is to visit the high school and middle school. Seeing former students having success in academics and sports is so fulfilling. Nothing beats being greeted with smiles and hugs from middle and high schoolers, that feeling of knowing you made a difference.”
WHY TEACHING IS MORE THAN A DAY JOB:
Noel Bianchi recalls a pivotal moment when she was in third grade, when she finished reading “The Hobbit” and was excited to tell her teacher about the book. As she talked about the book, she remembers realizing that “although he was a great teacher, he did not see me. I was just another student in his classroom, and this was just another year of teaching for him.” The impact of a childhood spent in the foster care system further ingrained the importance of ensuring that each student feels recognized and valued as an individual. “I pray daily that each student feels validated and heard by me.” Bianchi has worked with middle school students for 20 years. She taught choir in private school until switching to the public school sector in 2012.
FAVORITE PART OF TEACHING:
Instilling confidence and courage in her students to keep going after failure fills Bianchi with pride. “I remind my students that, ‘If you can solve word problems, you can solve world problems.’ We are experiencing a world problem at the moment and scientists, mathematicians and leaders are working around the clock to solve this COVID issue. Imagine if these men and women gave up the first time they failed. Success doesn’t happen on the first try. I want my kids to be confident in knowing that it is okay to fail at a math problem as long as they get up and try again.”
P O RT E R C O U N T Y WHY TEACHING IS MORE THAN A DAY JOB:
Greg Carmack worked in manufacturing and machining for close to 20 years, including helping with the machining program at the Porter County Career Center and A.K. Smith Career Center in Michigan City when he worked at Task Force Tips. When the teacher of the machining program at the Porter County Career and Technical Center retired, the teacher and former Task Force Tips owner Stewart McMillan urged Carmack to apply for the position. Though he says he never thought about academia, he is now in his nineteenth year of teaching and loves making students of all socioeconomic backgrounds and academic ability feel welcome and successful. Carmack says that it’s especially rewarding to see students with learning disabilities outperform those with high academic achievement levels. “Never would have guessed they were labeled with learning disabilities. To see every student become confident with trying anything without a fear of failure is extremely rewarding. Then I see them take this bravery into
their other classes and become even more successful there as well.”
FAVORITE PART OF TEACHING:
Carmack recalls a former student with mild autism. Though his social skills were awkward and performance speed was low, Carmack says, he was exceptionally polite, kind and had the skills for being a machinist. The class has three final exams, and this student struggled to get through the first but was thorough and took his time. When Carmack graded this student’s test that night, he was amazed to discover that this student had earned 96% on the test – the highest score for that school year. When the student politely asked to see his test score the next day, Carmack asked the student in front of the class, ‘What grade do you think you got?’ All the other students were watching this and listening to this discussion. He cautiously and confidently replied, ‘I think I got at least a C.’ I responded, ‘You’re way off’ and he asked me, ‘You mean I failed it?’ ” When Carmack showed him his grade, his
student laughed and asked for permission to utter a swear word in celebration, which Carmack granted. The student is attending Vincennes University for Precision Machining.
WHY TEACHING IS MORE THAN A DAY JOB:
“I love being able to see my students grow throughout the year and the fun stories they love telling me and sharing with the class,” Samantha Allen says.
“This year, we have really focused on building relationships and finding new ways to make learning exciting yet educational. My students are more
flexible than I thought they would be when we found out everything this year was going to be completely different. When I first jumped from kindergarten to fifth grade, I was nervous but very excited. My students now ask me which grade was my favorite to teach and, honestly, there are so many things to love about each grade I cannot pick just one. Listening to my students’ stories and being there for them is my favorite part of teaching because I know I am making a difference in their lives.” A Valparaiso native, Allen is a Purdue University graduate and is working on her master’s degree
in education from Indiana Wesleyan University.
FAVORITE PART OF TEACHING:
Some students struggle with motivation, and Allen remembers one who presented a special challenge. “He was checked out and not wanting to be in school. I worked so hard to try anything I could think of to build a relationship and get this student ready for middle school and at least liking school enough to want to show up. I worked every day at it until one day
he finally opened up and told me that he knew what I was trying to do and that he would try harder for me. I know that I wasn’t subtle with this, and it made me smile when he told me he knew what I was doing and that he would try harder. Watching that student grow into a great young adult was by far the best memory I have because we worked hard together
to get him ready for middle school, and he did his best for me.”