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| Gwen Spencer, Teacher of the Year & Crystal Apple recipient.jpg | 1.87 MB |
Gwen Spencer has been teaching 6th grade for 7 years. She has been team leader for 4 years and does a fabulous job at keeping the 6th grade teachers cohesive, organized, and optimistic. She is a wonderful math and science teacher. She has been invited to attend PESTL (Partnership for Effective Science Teaching and Learning) for the last 4 years and continues to increase her knowledge anywhere she can. Gwen is always up on the latest research and attends conferences every summer to help her students reach their potential. This year she has attended Comprehensive Mathematical Instruction Framework courses through SUU. Gwen has a knack for making learning engaging and fun. Her students have fun; and, yet, are expected to work hard.
She has been known to show up to school dressed up as Cleopatra, Athena, Good Queen Maude (wife of King Henry I- Middle ages), Pollyanna, "Super Teacher", and Aunt Sally. Aunt Sally comes to teach the sixth graders about order of operations in math; Aunt Sally really likes order! Gwen has been instrumental in planning and implementing many activities for 6th grade such as Egyptian days, Greek Olympics, Medieval Feast, and Microorganisms day at Payson Water Treatment Plant.
Gwen has played an integral role in implementing I Can Statements into our teaching at Barnett and educating parents on those statements so they know what their child is learning every day. As we move PLCs forward in our school, Gwen is at the forefront trying new things with her team and sharing with other grade levels what worked and what to avoid.
She designed a whole reading theme assembly around Super Heroes and got all of our teachers to dress up and inspire our whole school to be Reading Super Heroes. She is creative in designing Spirit Days around reading or other exciting events that come up in our school. Gwen knows that learning is fun and helps teachers, students, and parents to feel that same way when they are around her. Gwen is a fun and devoted part of our Barnett faculty. We truly appreciate her dedication to making a difference in the lives of our students.