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I would like to nominate Ms. Christine Goodman because of the positive impact that she has had on my son, Austun. Because of speech delays, Austun tends to get discouraged and give up easily. This all changed as he had Mrs. Goodman for his teacher in 2nd grade.
Mrs. Goodman believed in Austun. And her belief in him translated into a belief in himself. Mrs. Goodman always accentuated the "positives" in what Austun would do during the day in class. Not only to him...but to the entire class. When I would show up to Parent/Teacher Conferences, Mrs. Goodman would let me know of the things that Austun was struggling with, but then would focus and spend the majority of the time admiring Austun's strengths and accomplishments. Not only did I leave feeling like Austun was appreciated and loved, but Austun would leave Parent/Teacher Conferences with a huge smile across his face. Throughout the year, Austun would say things like, "Mom...did you know that I am one of the smartest kids in my class with math." "Mom, did you know that I can add numbers really quickly."
Mrs. Christine Goodman has this impact not only on my son, but on every student that enters her classroom. I am thankful that my children and students at Midas Creek Elementary have the opportunity to not only be taught, but to become better people and to be able to believe in themselves as they never had before. As Mrs. Goodman shared with me, "The attitude that 'I can do it,' affects future learning. I try to compliment children in front of the class, so others also perceive them as 'smart' students. Every child has things that they are good at. My goal is to find those things and make sure the student realizes that they are special."
--Ardis Bird
