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Educators build district’s reputation
By Chris Michlewicz
The Douglas County School District’s reputation as a top-notch educational institution is put on public display every year, so pick up your pencil and paper and start taking notes.
Many would agree that it’s the children who bear the fruits of their labor. Douglas County’s teachers are recognized during the Golden Apple Awards ceremony for their commitment in the classroom and overwhelming influence on their students. On March 14 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, 18 educators will receive a symbolic tribute to their tireless work and subsequent accomplishments.
Two of them — Libby Rife and Kirsten Bloomfield — exemplify what it means to be a dedicated educator. Day in and day out, they work their magic on the children of Parker, equipping them with the tools necessary to excel in life.
They were nominated by peers, students and the community at-large, which makes the award all the more special. They are acknowledging the culmination of hours spent learning in a classroom, student teaching after college and tackling tough exams to prove they have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of their pupils.
It’s a monumental job for which few have the patience. Being a teacher means occasionally taking your work home with you, dealing with students’ emotional issues, following a strict curriculum and keeping a level head. But it also means being a positive role model, passing on critical life lessons and, every once in a while, seeing the light bulb come on.
Rife, a sixth-grade literacy teacher at Pine Lane Intermediate, admits that being a teacher was not first on her list of career choices. Despite the fact that her father was her school principal and her mother was an English teacher, Rife instead chose a life in radio and television. But after a few years in the industry, something hit her. She realized that she could utilize the same assets her father did to become successful.
The combination of maintaining high expectations of students and using humor in her teaching, she says, has helped her reach students in an effective, if not non-traditional way. Clearly, it works, and her father and mother are extremely proud to have one of their children follow in their enormous footsteps.
“I’m weird and kids love that,” she said. “If you can get their attention, you’ve got them.
Wackiness doesn’t work as well being a principal.”
Bloomfield, a third-grade teacher at Pioneer Elementary School in Parker, also had her eyes on a different career path. The Ponderosa High School graduate initially wanted to try her hand at marine biology, but her desire to be an educator later “snuck up” on her.
She took a class at Ponderosa that enabled her to shadow a teacher, and it was all over from there.
“Teaching really chose me,” she said. “I could not imagine doing anything else.”
As it celebrates 50 years of empowering students, the Douglas County School District continues to honor the people who really keep the gears turning. An outstanding reputation is built on people, not simple classroom assignments. Thankfully, the teachers realize it is them alone that have the power to have a profound impact on a student as they grow into productive and well-rounded adults.
Many would agree that it’s the children who bear the fruits of their labor. Douglas County’s teachers are recognized during the Golden Apple Awards ceremony for their commitment in the classroom and overwhelming influence on their students. On March 14 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, 18 educators will receive a symbolic tribute to their tireless work and subsequent accomplishments.
Two of them — Libby Rife and Kirsten Bloomfield — exemplify what it means to be a dedicated educator. Day in and day out, they work their magic on the children of Parker, equipping them with the tools necessary to excel in life.
They were nominated by peers, students and the community at-large, which makes the award all the more special. They are acknowledging the culmination of hours spent learning in a classroom, student teaching after college and tackling tough exams to prove they have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of their pupils.
It’s a monumental job for which few have the patience. Being a teacher means occasionally taking your work home with you, dealing with students’ emotional issues, following a strict curriculum and keeping a level head. But it also means being a positive role model, passing on critical life lessons and, every once in a while, seeing the light bulb come on.
Rife, a sixth-grade literacy teacher at Pine Lane Intermediate, admits that being a teacher was not first on her list of career choices. Despite the fact that her father was her school principal and her mother was an English teacher, Rife instead chose a life in radio and television. But after a few years in the industry, something hit her. She realized that she could utilize the same assets her father did to become successful.
The combination of maintaining high expectations of students and using humor in her teaching, she says, has helped her reach students in an effective, if not non-traditional way. Clearly, it works, and her father and mother are extremely proud to have one of their children follow in their enormous footsteps.
“I’m weird and kids love that,” she said. “If you can get their attention, you’ve got them.
Wackiness doesn’t work as well being a principal.”
Bloomfield, a third-grade teacher at Pioneer Elementary School in Parker, also had her eyes on a different career path. The Ponderosa High School graduate initially wanted to try her hand at marine biology, but her desire to be an educator later “snuck up” on her.
She took a class at Ponderosa that enabled her to shadow a teacher, and it was all over from there.
“Teaching really chose me,” she said. “I could not imagine doing anything else.”
As it celebrates 50 years of empowering students, the Douglas County School District continues to honor the people who really keep the gears turning. An outstanding reputation is built on people, not simple classroom assignments. Thankfully, the teachers realize it is them alone that have the power to have a profound impact on a student as they grow into productive and well-rounded adults.
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