Glenda Myrick, a kindergarten teacher at Ward-Highlands Elementary School, has been selected as a Florida Credit Union/Star-Banner Amazing Teacher of the Month.
For Myrick, it’s all about caring for and developing life skills in her class of about 19 “little people,” age 5.
“Little people have voices and they need to be heard. You have to build trust with the kids, and they sense when you do,” Myrick said. “The children want to know, ‘I hear you and I’ll take the time to listen,’ ”
Myrick has training in special education, which she said helps her better understand student behavior.
“You have to work with students when they’re young. By elementary grades or middle school, the student may already be acting out,” Myrick said.
A native of Valdosta, Georgia, Myrick said her family has a history of educators and military service, and teaching and service to others are “in her blood.”
Myrick’s in-class co-worker for about eight years, instructional paraprofessional Lydia Donovan, nominated her for the Amazing Teacher of the Month recognition. Donovan, herself an educator for 30 years, said the way Myrick conducts herself in class, her excitement, her heart for the children and how she acts as a mentor for students make her “so amazing.”
Myrick earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Valdosta State College and a master’s degree in special education from Nova Southeastern University. She began her teaching career in 1992 at J.L. Lomax Elementary School in Valdosta.
Myrick moved to Gainesville in 1994 and served at Westwood Middle School. She moved to Ocala in 2014 and began teaching at Ward-Highlands Elementary School, first in grades above kindergarten before shifting to her “little people” about five years ago.
Myrick said it’s important for children to know they are heard. She meets them at the classroom door each morning, greeting them by name and making eye contact. She also “huddles” with the class to ask how they are doing.
Myrick uses classroom exercises with play “rewards” for correct answers to help teach the value of work and money.
“I want them to know the value of learning,” she said.
Myrick said a student once asked if she “lived at the school,” and another former student made a comment she still cherishes.
“The student, when she was in middle school, told me she felt safe when she was in my classroom,” Myrick said.
Treasa Buck, principal at Ward-Highlands Elementary School, said, “As an administrator, it is a privilege to work alongside a teacher whose years of experience are matched by a genuine love for children. Her classroom is a place where students feel safe, valued and believed in every single day.”
— The Amazing Teacher program, sponsored by Florida Credit Union in partnership with the Ocala Star-Banner, is a celebration of educators whose compassion, creativity and dedication inspire us all. Local teachers are selected monthly. They are recognized locally and are eligible for national level recognition and prizes. These stories are produced by the newsroom. Do you know an amazing teacher? Nominating one is easy. Just visit ocala.gannettcontests.com/Florida-Credit-Union-Amazing-Teachers
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Star-Banner/Florida Credit Union Amazing Teacher: Glenda Myrick
Reporting by Andy Fillmore, For the Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
