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Ukuleles, Treats And Heartfelt Lessons: Andrea Nelson Earns Above And Beyond Award

Andrea Nelson, a fourth grade teacher from Lakewood Elementary in Kanawha County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for December 2023, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.

Nelson was presented the award by WVPB’s Education Director Maggie Holley during a surprise assembly at Lakewood Elementary with the entire school and multiple family members in attendance. Vance received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurers’ Office sponsors the award, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.

Nelson was nominated by her mother, Leah Lewis, who was also an educator that taught music and show choir for 36 years. In Nelson’s nomination, her mother said her greatest skill is compassion. She shows it in her lessons, classroom management and with students throughout the school.

Andrea Nelson (right) stands next to her mother, Leah Lewis. Nelson’s mother nominated her for WVPB’s Above and Beyond Award.

*Credit: Autumn Meadows/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Nelson is the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) coordinator for Lakewood and through that, she plans ways to support the social and emotional needs of both teachers and students throughout the year. Her many goals for the program include team building initiatives to build relationships between staff, provide leadership opportunities for students, and overall help create a positive school culture.

Nelson’s classroom has a unique approach on social-emotional learning by including music and playing ukuleles. They’ll learn songs and play for staff members and students. They’ve even tried song writing! Nelson got the inspiration from a summer classroom training and was especially invested with her mother being a music teacher. Nelson said, “My dream is just play my guitar and ukulele at all times while I am teaching!”

In addition to ukuleles, Nelson’s class created a “Treat Yourself Day” inspired by the show Parks and Recreation, in which they show the benefits of a “treat yo’self” day. When students would hit a goal, they earn a school appropriate treat for the day. The students wanted to expand outside the classroom with this idea, and they designed ideas for snacks and drinks for classes that include music playing when they visit. “They wanted to make others feel special, and I knew the opportunity was so great that I would do whatever possible to make it happen.”

The fun and creativity in Nelson’s classroom are endless. Like the ukuleles and treat cart, another idea had stemmed from the classroom but is now implemented schoolwide. This event is a lip sync concert that Nelson organizes the last week of school, and all students are allowed to participate. She said it is a great opportunity for students to support each other and practice coming out of their shell in front of their peers. Even the teachers participate!

Another special event at Lakewood is the Love Language Fair. Nelson said she thought of the idea after speaking with a community leader about giving students an opportunity to show love during Valentine’s Day that wasn’t your typical lesson. “I plan with students and my co-teacher on activities that help students understand their own love language and how they feel love. It’s a process of planning and organizing because the students run the activity based off their own love language interest. It’s open to everyone school wide and is one of the best days of the year!”

It’s not always music related with Nelson’s fourth grade class. They are also currently planning a wax museum with an American Revolution theme. Last year, the wax museum was with a play and the students were the historical figures from this time.

Not only does Nelson provide group activities for the students, but she also shows her compassion by eating lunches with individual students to better connect with them and provide a safe place. The students are always eager for their turn.

She also made a positive impact by having a morning Welcome Wagon at the end of the week to include all students and encourage them to start their day off right by telling each other good morning. You might even see teachers dancing in the hallway at this time, lifting spirits for everyone. “By doing things like this, it creates an aurora of happiness and unity that is indescribable. It creates a school that is a place where students and teachers look forward to things that are happening.”

“This is my 14th year teaching and I have enjoyed every second. There are many things I love about teaching, but I do believe it’s a package deal. The teachers, students and administration all go together to make it great for me. I work with amazing teachers who are so inspiring, and the students are eager to learn each day. To be able to teach in an environment where you can just be yourself and be loved for it, is a wish I wish for everyone.”

Each month, WVPB has an esteemed panel of judges that select one deserving teacher who goes above and beyond for the students in West Virginia. If you know of a deserving teacher who goes “Above and Beyond,” please click here to nominate them.

Unrivaled Dedication: Brandon Maynard Clinches WVPB’s Prestigious Above And Beyond Award

Brandon Maynard, a special education teacher at Cabell Midland High School, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for November, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.

Brandon Maynard, a special education teacher at Cabell Midland High School (CMHS), earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for November, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.

Maynard was honored by WVPB in front of his class, coworkers and administrators. He received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office sponsors the award, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.

Maynard was nominated by a parent of one of his students. She celebrated his ability to be patient, compassionate, understanding and joyful. All while consistently communicating with parents, administration and support staff. In her nomination, she states, “He is calm and energetic all at the same time. He recognizes the student’s best qualities and builds on those for making learning fun and relevant for long-term success. He created greenhouse opportunities for learning and incorporates life skills that will help students with disabilities become more independent. He ensures safety while also exploring moments for students to be leaders themselves and moments of being just like everyone else in high school.”

Maynard knew from the beginning he wanted to be an educator thanks to his second grade teacher, but there was a long road to his current role at CMHS. He wanted to teach science, then physical education and eventually history. Unfortunately, history teachers were not in high demand, so he began substitute teaching in a variety of classrooms which is how he was exposed to his current calling in special education.

He said, “I finally started my career. I enrolled in classes at Marshall towards a master’s in special education with an autism endorsement and I haven’t regretted it since. The population of students that I work with are incredible when you give them the right tools to be successful. Every day is a new challenge, and I am constantly learning and impressed by their abilities and talents. They make each day and school year worth every moment.”

Maynard is constantly making his activities engaging and relevant. They learned about the solar system and planets using salt dough and even though it was a messy time, the students loved it, so he used the same method to teach the skeletal system. They’ve also made model rockets and went outside to launch them to learn how difficult it can be to design a rocket for space travel. “Anything we can do that is hands-on and gets them actively engaged in a lesson is most enjoyable.”

The class also has a greenhouse available that they use to grow plants year-round. The students not only plant the flowers and vegetables but also learn the plant life cycle, plant parts, the responsibilities of raising a garden and the benefits of plants to animals and people.

Maynard also makes it a point to collaborate and work with others in the school. His coworker, Sherri Riggio, who is an autism mentor said, “I’ve worked with Mr. Maynard for years and nobody deserves this award more than he does. He puts heart and soul into this job. He truly connects with his students and always focuses on what is best for each one. He works cooperatively with everyone in our special education department and the school as a whole. He makes the classroom and school a better place through his involvement. If anyone goes above and beyond, it is Maynard!”

From left to right: Jared Collins (Assistant Principal), Matthew Adkins (Principal), Brandon Maynard (award recipient), Maggie Holley (WVPB Education Director), Danny Harbert (Assistant Principal).

*Credit: Autumn Meadows/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Maynard is praised for not only his work in the school, but also outside the building. His nominator said he would drive to her home to deliver materials she was unable to access and attend community theater performances her son performed in. He seeks out and communicates to families different community activities that are sensory friendly and accommodating to their unique needs. She said, “He is an outstanding advocate that goes beyond his job requirements because he cares and is genuinely invested in his students beyond the confines of the special education classroom.”

When asked about how he incorporates inclusive activities inside and outside the classroom, Maynard said, “The students I work with in special education deserve the opportunity to be included in everything other students participate in, to the best of their ability. I want to create an environment for my students where they feel they can be themselves and not have to worry about anxiety or other triggers that may create a bad experience.”

He recalled some rewarding experiences he had with the students by simply including them. Once, a student of his had the opportunity to create a project and present information about goats. To allow her to have a visual aid for the presentation, he brought in one of his own goats for her to use. “That day was the most I’ve ever seen that student smile. She did fantastic with the presentation and was able to show and teach other students about goats through a PowerPoint presentation.”

Another time was with a student and family whom he goes to church with and attended most of their church softball games together. The student would sit with him and would always encourage the players. So, after one of the games, Maynard took him onto the field to let him bat. Maynard said, “He ended up crushing a ball out of the infield never having played baseball before. He ran the bases and had a blast. I love taking the initiative to give these kids a chance to just be kids and allow them the opportunities to be successful in any activity I can get them in.”

Running Into This Month’s Above And Beyond Winner Is Kara Vance

Kara Vance, a physical education teacher for both Alum Creek Elementary and Kenna Elementary in Kanawha County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for October, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.

Vance was presented the award by WVPB’s Education Director Maggie Holley during a surprise assembly at Alum Creek Elementary with the entire school in attendance. Vance received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurers’ Office sponsors the award and is the presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.

Vance’s nomination starts with a strong testament. “Kara leads by doing. She has positive energy that attracts everyone to want to work with her and be part of what she is doing.” Whether she is leading her running club, organizing field day, or consoling a child, it is clear her positivity and leadership is felt in the school and community.

Although Vance has been an educator for 10 years, this is only her second year in physical education. She had previously been an English teacher for elementary, middle and high school. When asked about the transition, Vance said, “You go from telling kids to sit down, get quiet, and get your pencils out to get up, make some noise and asking why do you have a pencil?”

Vance built upon the programs in place at the schools and added new ideas, skills, and equipment for her students. According to her nomination, she began a running club, organized a Color Run, set new records for the American Heart Association Kids’ Heart Challenge, and then shared the funds to purchase a new speaker and hosted an impromptu dance party for the kids. She also volunteered to coach a soccer team when no one else could, even though she had never played soccer before.

Another achievement for Vance, was successfully organizing and implementing field day for both elementary schools. This consisted of a variety of outdoor stations with different activities that involved a lot of water and even a fire truck. She had fifth graders manage and run the stations for all the grades. She said they did very well, and it gave them an opportunity to practice their speaking skills. They also got to join in on the fun, too.

Not only does Vance include students and faculty in activities at the schools, but she also encourages parents and community members to get involved. She said, “We have great communities at both schools. You don’t even have to ask, and they are offering to help.”

She recalled eating lunch one day and seeing a parent outside setting up for the Color Run and another parent used a drone and put together video footage for them of the event.

One fifth grader proudly said in an interview, “Some things we all love about Mrs. Vance is that she’s funny, works hard and is the best gym teacher we’ve ever had. She’s cool and loves everybody in the school. We all love her.”

WVPB’s Latest Above And Beyond Award Goes To Jeffrey Goff

Jeffrey Goff, an English teacher at James Monroe High School in Monroe County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for September 2023, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.

During an assembly, Goff was presented the award by WVPB’s Education Director Maggie Holley. Goff received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurers’ Office sponsors the award, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.

Goff has a clear passion for literature in the classroom, which shows in his work. He makes literary texts that high school students may deem daunting or advanced more approachable and meaningful. For example, to help bring Dante’s Inferno to life, he has students design their version and create it in either mixed media art or video form. For Shakespeare, Goff will take the students to the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia for shows and interactions with the actors.

Goff’s classroom neighbor stated, “Rather than merely reading and commenting on theater works, I hear enthusiastic student productions of various works of Shakespeare, Death of a Salesman, and Of Mice and Men through the wall.”

Goff is especially praised for his connections with students. Graduating seniors often said Goff made a profound, positive impact on them during their time at school. In addition, they described Goff as the teacher who had most prepared them for college and a career.

One current eleventh grader, Gavin French, said, “Mr. Goff is just a really wonderful teacher overall; without him, a lot of these students wouldn’t have the passion for English that they do, including myself, and I think he is absolutely deserving of this award.”

Goff’s nominator and teaching colleague stated, “With a mixture of tact, humor, and patience, he has been my sounding board and coach, all on an informal, selfless basis. Jeff is usually one of the first teachers to arrive and last to leave in the evening and always has time for conversations with parents, students, and peers. Jeff leads by example and consistently goes the extra mile for his students.”

Celebrating Outstanding Educators: Christie Meadows Wins Above And Beyond Award From WVPB

Christie Meadows, a fifth grade teacher at Glenwood School, Mercer County has earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for May, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.

Meadows was presented the award by WVPB’s Education Specialist Autumn Meadows. Christie Meadows received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The award is sponsored by the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.

Meadows has been a full-time teacher for 20 years and an educator for 26. She knew since she was a child playing school at home that she wanted to be a teacher. Her dedication to the profession and her students shows both in the classroom and in the community.

In the classroom, Meadows makes an effort to involve parents. Throughout the year she will bring them into the classroom to do things like crafts and in the past, she would do a career day for parents to volunteer to come in and present. Meadows said it’s important to include parents so that they can see what their child is experiencing at school and for the students to see their parents involved.

Meadows also goes above and beyond with classroom projects that engage the students but also reinforce skills taught and learned. Students would complete scavenger hunts, create PowerPoints, and participate in different experiments that involved melting holiday candies. In years past, they also wrote books as a class that were published for the students. This year, they had the opportunity to have pen pals in California and after a yearlong correspondence they got to virtually meet over ZOOM.

Meadows’ dedication reaches outside the classroom by showing the students the impact they can have in their community. They’ve collected and made stockings for local nursing homes, collected food and items for animal shelters, made cards for veterans, and this year they also fixed a meal for Amy’s House of Hope which provides meals to unhoused people in the community.

Meadows also practiced inclusivity by making sure her class did fun activities with students with disabilities not in the general education classrooms, such as bingo, Easter egg hunts, crafts and snacks. She said all these activities are her favorites. Meadows said, “I want them to see that not everyone has what they do and teaches them to put others before themselves. The kids look forward to these activities and truly enjoy helping others. They ask, ‘What else can we do?’”

“I love teaching,” said Meadows, “I love when you see a student who struggles begin to understand a concept. I love when they are willing to do things for others and not just themselves. I love watching students grow not just academically but socially and personally as well.”

Each month, WVPB has an esteemed panel of judges that select one deserving teacher who goes above and beyond for the students in West Virginia. If you know of a deserving teacher that goes “Above and Beyond,” please click here to nominate them.

As part of the Above and Beyond program, WVPB and the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office will be hosting a Jurassic Jamboree at Marion County Public Library this Saturday, Aug. 5 with free goodies and a meet and greet with Buddy from the PBS KIDS show Dinosaur Train.

Going The Extra Mile: Amy Taylor Receives WVPB’s Above And Beyond Award

Amy Taylor, a Nationally Board Certified English teacher at Midland Trail High School in Fayette County, has earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for April, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.

Taylor was presented the award by WVPB’s Education Director Maggie Holley. Taylor received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The award is sponsored by the West Virginia State Treasurers’ Office, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.

Taylor not only teaches English, but for the last nine years, has also been a part of the Early Enrollment program that offers students the opportunity to complete several pre-requisite college courses. At Midland Trail High School, she teaches English 101/102 for WVU Tech and Glenville State with an additional 12 sections online at the University of Charleston.

She said, “Between the West Virginia Invests Grant, Grow Your Own, and Early Enrollment programs, West Virginia schools, especially Midland Trail, have built and sustained outstanding opportunities for our students to find a life and career they can be proud of.”

Taylor goes above and beyond in the classroom engaging students with one of her favorite units. She begins the year with an Appalachian unit using two local memoirs that discuss poverty and adversity in West Virginia – facing many challenges and experiences that her students can relate to in their own lives. After reading one of these memoirs, Taylor brings the author to the classroom for face-to-face questions and interactions providing a powerful experience for the students. Taylor said this unit reinforces the importance of resilience.

Not only does Taylor go above and beyond in the classroom, but also in the community. She tutors after school, volunteers to work gates at sporting events, attends students’ events, helps plan and chaperone prom, and mentors teachers.

Taylor’s nominator, Michelle Moirai said, “I’ve never known any human who puts in the hours behind the scenes that this woman does. I honestly have no idea how she does it.”

Taylor said that being an active member in the community and school is important to building rapport with students and families. “Students look for us in the stands and audience just as much as they do their families; we are their family at Midland Trail.”

When Taylor was asked what she loves and enjoys most about teaching, she said hands down that she loves the lasting relationships.

“When my seniors walk across the stage, as they just did recently, I always tell them that our relationship doesn’t end at that moment… I just shift from teacher to mentor,” she said. “Knowing that so many remain in contact, through college and life’s events, shows me that my small part in their story planted a seed that grew into something great.”