HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 05-03 LEAP High School teacher wins Minnesota's 2015 Teacher of the Year award STAR TRIBUNE x StarTribune
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LEAP High School teacher wins •' �� �
Minnesota's 2015 Teacher of Year award � }
Article by.PAT PHEIFER � � � �
May3,2015-9:OOPM �� '�� }
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Minnesota's 2015 Teacher of the Year,Amy Hewett-Olatunde, �,.
speaks English and Nonvegian,as well as some German,Swedish z
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and French Canadlan. ;''- k
IPs rare ihat her studenis at LEAP(Limited English Academic ' �
Proficiency)High School in St Paui speak any of those languages. � k��,,,, � .�.,.
But all are trying to leam English while earning a dipioma. ���„p,�� , . _
The 40-yearold Maplewood resident teaches writing and Engiish ,�(d J a¢ n .``,�r H J , .
at the school for new immigrants.She said Sunday that she has �i �,�Y s 20 z, {ew�i�at�r i �a�h�s F �a�t.�=-
learned as much from her students as they have from her.
FIl9t�,G�;hool;n S�.Pau�.M�nn
Janet Noctet!er,Acsociatyu Pr«ass-Ap
'1 have leamed to be much more humble and much more . _, . : �,
appreciative of the life I have been given,"she said."Anyone who ��� -�1�? �� .,� "s
wants to complain about menial things in their lives—do you have ,
, t� . ��`� ":
food in your stomach,do you have food at home?Not all kids have .
those basic necessities."
Hewetl-Olatunde came to LEAP during her student-teacher
placement 16 years ago.She was hired by the former principal ,�
who started the school,and she never leR . ��_ `
Her students'origins have changed over that time.initially,it was �}7�'ya��,.� '�'�
mostly Hmong,then East African and Somali.Currently,the �. � .
school's highest population is Karen students,from the � :{;.� �
Thai/Burmese border.Sixty percent are students whose educafion r�; .
has been interrupted.
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"They are eager to leam�,they want to be in the classroom," �!�'�
Hewett-Olatunde said."They understand the value of education �;,��� +�vYihtM1
� and look at a teacher with such a high level of respect.IYs ,e��. +'�;j,��+�H`
absolutely joyful to work with the kids." , .�`t�Z'Z�;�;�
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Students attend LEAP from ages 15 to 21;if they don't graduate by �. �i�±F 9',� .
age 21,they must go to another program.About 40 to 50 students . � . -:.
eam their diploma at LEAP each year,Hewett-Olatunde said. q,l.,y r � ,,, .'' ;' ,,..
fiigh.,�,n �I i�L Pai I h-'s be tli r �6�y� ;
Poetry is one key to her teaching success,Hewett-Olatunde said. }.e[,j. , "
It works with any level of student,she said,because the language � �
doesn't have to be exact and precise like an academic essay.
Poetry helps the students express themselves and tell their stories,she said.
IYs important to balance students'academic needs with their emotional needs.Many spend more time in the classroom than
at home with their families,and"we want ihem to feel welcome and loved and en9aged,"she said.
In a recommendation letter,LEAP Principal Rose Sanros said of Hewett-Olatunde,"Dunng the course of a single school day,
she makes the transition from teaching literature to—sometimes withln minutes—teaching the alphabet or the
fundamentals of grammar ro a beginning-level group."
Hewett-Olatunde received the Teacher of the Year honor Sunday at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Mall of America in
Bloomington.This is the 51 st year of the program,which is hosted by Education Minnesota.
There were 123 candidates for the position.The other nine finalists were:Erik Brandt,English and IB program coordinator at
Harding Senior High School in St.Paul�,Melinda Chrisfianson,high school English teacher at Underwood School;Stephen
Dombrosk,world history teacher at North High School in North St.Paul�,Lanka Liyanapathiranage,language arts teacher at
Woodbury Middle School;Kathryn Oberg,first-grade teacher at Otsego Elementary School,EIk River,Terrence Pnce,third-
grade teacher at The Mastery Charter School in Mlnneapolis;Ann St Clair,K-2 teacher at Sonnesyn Elementary School in
Robbinsdale�,Rachel Steil,English teacher at Stillwater Area High School,and Meggie Trenda,Spanish teacher at Edina
High School.
PatPheifer•952-746-3284