4th of July Inspirations

The 4^th of July, a day of parades, barbecues, picnics, and fireworks, commemorates the day that the 13 American colonies declared themselves their own independent nation. On this July 4th, we here at CE Credits Online want to honor teachers like you who work tirelessly to educate and inspire the future generation of American citizens. Teachers do their best to produce hardworking and successful teenagers and adults. Here are two stories of new teachers and their mentors who inspire us.

The New Chicago Teacher

This teacher started her first teaching job in Chicago’s South Side, an underserved area, as the only special education teacher for kindergarten through 3^rd grade. Her biggest challenge was helping her students to read at their appropriate level, and for them to enjoy it. The teacher was about to quit over the stress. With the help of a mentor, she was able to calculate the students’ reading levels. Eventually, the students started to improve as she adjusted her library to meet her students’ needs. This teacher took her experience and now mentors other new special education teachers.

Alyson Gordon - Math Teacher

Alyson Gordon received her first job as a math teacher in Rhode Island. As a novice teacher she was worried when she was assigned to co-teach a special education class. Teaching can be a challenge at any level, and with students with a myriad of learning and emotional disabilities, Alyson was discouraged at first. But instead of giving up or going through the motions, she met with a coach named Michelle Livsey and they tackled the issues in her classroom one-by-one. They worked on grouping the class and differentiating instruction. Alyson’s ability to adapt her pedagogy to fit her classroom led to major success, including one student that was the first in his family to graduate.

There are many stories of teachers using their teaching position to better students in the present for their future. We appreciate the hard work and extra time that teachers put into inspiring students. This 4^th of July we would like to extend our appreciation to teachers who are invaluable in producing future generations of citizens in our country.