With final exams approaching and another school year winding to a close, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools invited 18 of its best educators to Central Piedmont Community College Tuesday to celebrate the work they do.
The finalists for teacher and assistant of the year were greeted with flowers, music and hors d'oeuvres at Central Piedmont’s uptown campus. Organizer Jasmine Hager, from the district’s communications department, says the Gem Awards are a way to recognize educators “and give them the love and help them shine like the gems that they are.”
Guests of honor talked about a range of challenges they face: Distraction from world events, students struggling with emotional needs, too much work and too little time. But when they were asked what gives them joy and energy, it was all variations on the same theme.
“The kids,” said Leslie Cosentine, a teacher at Charlotte Engineering Early College High.
“Definitely the students,” said Stephanie Arem, an art teacher at McKee Road Elementary.
“I try to give them so much TLC, but they give it in return and it’s so rewarding,” said Lynne DiMarco, an assistant at Croft Community School.
“The more I support them, the more I feel like I’ve accomplished something that day,” said Michaiah Miller, a Harding University High assistant and wrestling coach.
“They ignite my heart and my energy,” said Stephanie Croker, a teacher at North Academy of World Languages.
Their work illustrates how much is going on in schools — most of which never shows up on test scores.
Keecha Finley is a kindergarten assistant who’s student-teaching in first grade.
“When they get that ‘aha moment’ when you’re teaching something and you can just see their eyes sparkle up that they’re actually getting it, that’s what keeps me going back every day,” she said.
Croker teaches first-graders in French as part of the CMS world languages immersion program.
“They learn like a baby,” she said. “They don’t have to study or do a drill. They just speak. And it’s amazing: Now that I’ve had them all year, now they’re able to read nonfiction texts and fiction stories. They can write complete sentences. They speak with authentic French accents.”
Arem teaches elementary school art. Her latest project involves helping students create clay sea anemones that will glow under black lights. She says she lights up “when they’ve struggled through something and they can say, ‘Man, that was really hard, but I’m so proud of myself and I’m glad that I put the work in.’ ”
Cosentine teaches upperclassmen who come to UNC Charlotte’s campus to learn architectural and civil engineering. But she says some things don’t really change.
“They don’t lose it! They come up to high school and we can tap into that little elementary school artist and scientist,” she said. “And we see that come out and they’re not afraid and they’re comfortable. It’s amazing.”
Finley, the University Meadows assistant who is learning to teach first grade, was named CMS assistant of the year. The district’s teacher of the year is Elizabeth Canute, from Tuckaseegee Elementary.
Now that the festivities are over, all of the district’s gems are back in their classrooms, the setting where they shine the brightest.
