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Elise Chambers
The Derby Public Schools has selected Elise Chambers as the 2020 District Teacher of the Year.
The Connecticut Teacher of the Year Program is one of the oldest and most prestigious recognition programs to focus public attention on excellence in teaching. Elise is part of the Irving School family teaching in its grades 3 – 5 academic learning center.
Irving School Principal, Aimee Misset said, “She is the kind of teacher who will email me at 10:00 p.m. or at 8:00 a.m. because she never stops thinking about how to improve things for students. Every decision she makes puts her student’s interests first and she makes sure they know that. Her masterful combination of setting high expectations and letting her students know she will not let them fail is the reason they make the growth that they do. It’s a privilege to watch her in action.”
Many teachers are considered great at their profession. A small few can be considered phenomenal. Elise Chambers is part of this small few. She guides students through higher-level thinking to understand the cause and effect of their actions. Above all, she maintains a safe, nurturing, and genuine environment. Elise’s room is a bustling but organized ebb and flow of academic rigor, earned behavior breaks and chances for students to be shaped into their best social selves.
Mrs. Chambers said, “It is an incredible honor to represent Derby as Teacher of the Year. I am extremely grateful to be a teacher and I could not have handpicked a better environment than the one I am in now if I tried. I get to go to work each day and work with other like-minded professionals and assist students in learning about what really counts in life. It is time consuming, but I find it so fulfilling to imagine where my students can be in 5 or 10 years when they are given what they need. I believe that when a child truly feels safe and loved they can do amazing things and often surprise themselves in the process.”
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Matthew J. Conway, Jr. said, “When I think about compassion, when I think about what differentiation looks like, when I think about high quality instructional practices, I think about Mrs. Chamber’s classroom and her practices. Her practices are a model for other to emulate. We are so fortunate to have her in our District working with our kids and a part of our family.”
Jim Gildea, Chairman of the Board of Education said, “Elise is a special teacher who works with our high needs students. She does so compassionately and with passion and genuine sincerity. She works collaboratively with her peers to ensure her students have the tools and resources to be successful not only in the school environment, but also in life. It is obvious to all those who interact with Elise whether they are students, staff, parents or community members that she is most deserving of this award. On behalf of the Derby Board of Education, we congratulate her.”
We would also like to recognize our Building Level Teachers of the Year – Melissa Brehm from Bradley School, David Nuzzo from Derby Middle School and Cristina Kingsbury from Derby High School.
