BFA-Fairfax Teacher Sandy Brown Recognized

(Information below taken from Tuesday's Edition of The St. Albans Messenger)

The 28th annual Vermont Outstanding Teacher Day is scheduled to be held tomorrow afternoon, Oct. 22, at the University of Vermont. Supervisory Unions and School Districts from around Vermont may select two candidates recognized for their excellent practice in one of the five Vermont standards - learning, professional knowledge, advocacy, colleagueship, and accountability. A third teacher may be chosen from those school districts with a technology school. Sandy Brown from BFA-Fairfax was one of the teachers selected from this District.

Bellows Free Academy, Fairfax

• Subject(s) and/or Grade level taught: Classroom teacher, third grade

• Educational Background: B.S. in Elementary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, M.A. in Science Education through the Vermont Science Initiative, Johnson State College.

• Town of Residence/Family: My husband, Andy, and I have recently moved to Burlington after having lived in Fairfax for 30 years. We have two children: Megan, who works at Salon Capris and attends UVM, Courtney and her husband, Jeremy, who both attend RPI in Troy, N.Y.

• When did you know you would be a teacher and how or why was it that you made that decision? When I was in third grade, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I would play "school" in the attic of our family's home in Baltimore, Md. Although, at that point, I believe I was more interested in giving out check minuses to my "students" than actually teaching.

• From where do you gather the inspiration to be a successful educator? My inspiration to be a successful educator comes from the teachers I had throughout my education and the teachers I work with now. I admire their dedication, work ethic, and intelligence. . .

• What are the guiding principles that you take into the classroom with you every day (what is your philosophy of education)? I believe every child has something about them that is likable and unique. It is my job to find out what it is and use it as the foundation for their education in my cjass.

• What advice would you offer to a new, or discouraged, teacher? This is a difficult question. Someone once said to me as I was sending one of my children off to college, "Parenting is not for the faint of heart." 1 would have to say the same about teaching. It is hard work but if a new or struggling teacher stays with it, gets support, and is willing to be open to new ideas, they will be successful and make a difference.

• "My students are... "I find my students are always interesting, fun, insightful, and incredibly wise. They care deeply about what is going on around them. If you want a healthy perspective on a problem, ask a kid!