This year’s Teacher of the Year goes to a prodigy of the East Greenbush School District. Born and raised in Nassau, she attended Donald P. Sutherland School. At Colombia High School, Lisa was very involved in music as a bassoonist, playing in the symphonic band and orchestra. She also played in the pit orchestra. After high school, Lisa attended the College of St. Rose for both undergraduate and graduate studies. She earned a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in Elementary Education with a minor in music and a concentration in mathematics. Both of these areas are strengths in Lisa’s life today! Her Masters of Science in Education was earned in the area of Special Education with a concentration in Learning Disabilities.
Lisa began her career (as a per diem substitute) in 1990. She has done a little bit of everything since then! She has been a term sub in 1st, 2nd 4th and combination classes, a math remediation teacher as well as a sixth grade math teacher. Then Lisa landed a permanent position a D.P.S. … her dream job! But was it? She had the most challenging multi-age class a new teacher could ever been given, but Lisa prevailed. If it seemed impossible, nobody knew. The children learned and moved on! Not only had Lisa survived but she succeeded with one of the most challenging groups we had seen in one class in a long time. Since that time, she has honed her skills from a novice to a master teacher, shared best practices with colleagues, and has joined numerous building and district committees including Math Committee, Building Specialist (Math and Science), School-wide Enrichment Committee, and D.P.S. Character Education Committee. Lisa enjoys attending math and science workshops and especially summer weeklong workshops at 5 Rivers. But Lisa does so much more than sit on committees.
She supports both students and colleagues by attending events such as the Children’s Fair, after-school activities, soccer matches, baseball games, pinewood derbies, running events, talent shows, art and science fairs, Board of Education meetings, just to name a few.
In Lisa’s private life … yes, she tries to make time for one, she’s still involved with music. For 10 years, Lisa participated in the Sweet Adeline’s, competing nationally and internationally. She has sung with other choral groups and choirs. Currently, she sings in her church choir. Lisa taught Sunday School for 13 years but has given that up to do therapy work with her adorable Papillon, Vlinder. She originally started visiting patients at St. Peter’s and nursing homes but now does weekly nursing home visits and adult day care facilities when she is on vacation. Recently, Lisa started playing volleyball because she just didn’t feel she was doing enough! This woman may not look like the dynamo she truly is but that is what makes her so very special and why she is this year’s Teacher of the Year!
