2022-2023 Iva Elementary Teacher of the Year: Amanda Ferguson
"Ms. Ferguson is dedicated to Iva Elementary. She comes in early and stays late. She goes above and beyond what is expected of her and excels at everything she sets her mind. Teaching is truly her calling and shines through in all that she does in and out of the classroom. When a staff member needs help, she is always there to volunteer her assistance. She collaborates well with others, encourages others, offers support to others, and constantly cheers her colleagues on. Her dedication is also evident in her classroom. Her students absolutely adore her and strive to do their best because of her. Each student that enters her classroom knows that Ms. Ferguson cares about them as a person and not just as a student. There are many afternoons when Ms. Ferguson can be found in her classroom during her planning period…still filled with students that stay back to get extra help with assignments. At times, Ms. Ferguson will simply sit in the hallway with a student to rework a math problem before heading to an activity or getting on the bus. She has also given up countless planning periods to mentor students in other grade levels. She recently served as a reading buddy for a second-grade student who struggled to complete his reading log due to a lack of support at home. Each day Ms. Ferguson met with him, read with him, and signed his log. She has become “his person” and has truly made a difference in his life. When asked to share a few words about her, this student said, “Ms. Ferguson is a really smart, smart teacher. She helped me read when she pulled me out of class each day. I am a better reader now because she helped me. I love her to death.” These actions speak volumes about Ms. Ferguson’s dedication to her students and how her main goal is to have her students truly LEARN, even if that means getting a problem wrong multiple times before arriving at the correct answer. Ms. Ferguson does all of this without expecting anything in return. She is a silent hero to many and is loved by all."
Congratulations, Ms. Ferguson!