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Nominator: Cecilia Plummer
Northridge Elementary
Mrs. Sulz is one of a kind. She teaches by example and by setting high expectations. At the beginning of the year my son was afraid of writing in cursive and didn't want to do it. Mrs. Sulz told him that in her class this was not an option, and she knew that he was able and therefore he could do it. Just after a couple of weeks, he was determined thanks to Mrs. Sulz optimism to try it. Now, he has the most beautiful and neat cursive writing I have ever seen. It's not only the writing but the content; he has become an amazing essay, story writer.
Mrs. Sulz expects the world from her students, this is shown by the long and entertaining poems the students have to memorize on a weekly basis. My son was not too excited about this new task, but she told him, "if you can memorize your phone number, you can memorize anything, including this poem." My son believed her and now he is the first one ready to pass off each poem every week. Every week he looks forward to the next poem.
She does not only teach them academics but she prepares them for the real world, teaching them to respect each other. For example, in class all the students are called by their last name with the title of Mr. or Miss so and so. This type of environment helps the fifth grade students gain a sense of respect and maturity they need.
Bonnie Sulz is the type of teacher that deserves to be called a teacher. I am so lucky to have found her, she is an inspiration of what it is possible to achieve when hard work and high expectations exist.
