TEACHERS
OF THE
YEAR SARAH SALADINI
THIRD GRADE
TEACHER AT OLD
BRIDGE ELEMENTARY
IN WOODBRIDGE, VA
and they love teasing me
about my fear of cats and
clowns. NOMINATED BY:
LAURIE M.

What makes you excited
to go into your school
each day?
I get so excited to see my
students’ smiles, receive
their hugs and I enjoy the
opportunity to interact
with past students. I
love the energy and
excitement they bring
each day. Seeing the look
on a student’s face the fi rst
time he or she really “gets”
a concept, or witnesses a
new experience is a very
rewarding feeling.

“Sarah goes above
and beyond the
classroom. She
gets involved in all
the events of the
school along with
knowing each child
personally and their
needs. She makes
learning interesting
and is known by
most who go to the
school. She’s a very
active mother of
two children, has
been on the board
of the homeowners
association where
she lives, helps her
extended family out
without question and
does a top notch job
in her classroom. She
never allows anything
to get in her way and
has even conquered
her own personal
situations and goals
with a smile on her
face; never to be
defeated!” SPONSORED BY:
Seeing the
look on a
student’s face the first
time he or
she really
“gets” a
concept, or
witnesses a new
experience is a very
rewarding feeling.

Why do you think
teachers are important?
Teachers play an
important role in shaping
26 August 2017
washingtonFAMILY.com What advice would you
give to aspiring teachers?
our future society. We
work to help children with
academic performance,
but we also help guide
them to make meaningful
choices for success in
life later on. We focus on
real life concepts of what
we learn everyday and
how it applies to their life
currently or how it could
apply later.

What is the single best
piece of advice you can
give parents of third-
graders? Be involved. Ask your
children about their day.

Check their homework
and go over assignments
when they come home.

Talk about activities as
you do them, like cooking,
traveling and watching TV.

What’s your funniest
teaching moment?
My third-graders keep
me laughing all the time.

We enjoy trading jokes
Refl ect. You’ll never
become better at what
you’re doing if you don’t
refl ect and make changes.

None of us are perfect, but
we all have the same goal.

Refl ection will allow you to
grow as a teacher.

What are three things
you use in your
classroom everyday and
could never live without?
Technology, books, and
class rules.

Do you have any tried
and trusted ideas or
activities for motivating
students? A class economy has really
motivated my students
as they can earn rewards
like getting to have lunch
with a teacher or being
able to sit anywhere they
want in the room. It also
helps with math skills and
economic standards all
year long.




TEACHERS
OF THE
YEAR ROBERT HIRSCH
Why do you think
teachers are important?
SECOND GRADE
TEACHER AT BELLS MILL
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
IN POTOMAC, MD
Teachers are incredibly
important in developing
children. Not only are
teachers teaching
students how to be critical
and creative thinkers,
but they’re also teaching
the students vital socio-
emotional skills. If students
can think critically and
creatively, get along with
their peers, learn to be
adaptable and resilient
and have a growth
mindset to learn other
“soft skills,” students will
be prepared for whatever
pathway in life they
choose. Do you have any tried
and trusted ideas or
activities for motivating
students? It’s essential for teachers
to have positive and
trusting relationships with
their students. Once I’ve
established a positive
and trusting relationship,
and they’ve bought into
me, they can buy into the
content I’m going to teach
them. What is the single best
piece of advice you can
give parents of second-
graders? Children would much
rather have your presence
than your presents.

What’s your funniest
teaching moment?
The funniest moment in
my classroom was when
I told the students to
“sit tight,” and one my
NOMINATED BY:
SHANNON Z.

Children would
much rather
have your
presence than your
presents. students literally folded
into his seat.

What makes you excited
to go into your school
each day?
Working with the children.

I’m fortunate to have
spent my entire teaching
career working at Bells
Mill and have formed
wonderful relationships
with students, parents and
staff members. Ironically, I
too attended Bells Mill as
a student and my parents
still live in the Bells Mill
community. I get a great
kick out of seeing Bells
Mill students running and
playing outside whenever I
go to my parents’ house.

What advice would you
give to aspiring teachers?
If you are considering
teaching at the
elementary school level,
you need to be passionate
about working with
children, more so than
being passionate about a
specifi c content area. You
need to want to improve
children’s lives on a daily
basis and genuinely care
about their well-being.

They are children fi rst,
students second.

“Bobby regularly goes
above and beyond
expectations. He
imbues every lesson
with humor. There
is often laughter
emanating from
his classroom. He
is kind and patient
with his students
and has an excellent
rapport with them.

He understands the
students’ different
learning styles and
adjusts instruction
accordingly. Bobby creatively
enriches the
curriculum and keeps
students’ engaged in
learning. He provides
health time to
ensure students get
adequate amounts of
exercise during the
week. His behavior
management techniques create a
respectful learning
environment. Bobby
deserves to be
recognized for his
effort, dedication and
talent.” SPONSORED BY:
washingtonFAMILY.com August 2017
27