![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/02\/15\/NSHT\/5cb78146-59b1-4ce3-bea3-6d94e2b4d79f-EFS_0651.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\nDressing up as a queen to introduce the letter \u2018Q\u2019 and how it looks and sounds was a relatively easy choice for kindergarten teacher Alex Kellemen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the \u2018V\u2019 that stumped me for a while, and then I came up with making a paper volcano and hanging it on my belt,\u201d Kellemen says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Known for her innovative teaching tactics that include wearing colorful costumes to support traditional learning, Kellemen regularly delights students, parents and fellow teachers at Alta Vista Elementary School by showing up at school dressed as a mouse, dinosaur, rabbit, and king, among others. One day she wore a cluster of balloons.<\/p>\n
Ignite Education:<\/strong>Motivated by students who overcome obstacles<\/a><\/p>\n Ignite Education:<\/strong>From rescuing manatees to teaching sixth-grade science<\/a><\/p>\n If her exploits give students and colleagues reasons to start their days with laughs, she\u2019s fine with that.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n \u201cAt school we\u2019re essentially one big family, so it\u2019s important to make positive impacts that have ripple effects. Plus, I love to make people laugh, and I find happiness in helping others,\u201d Kellemen says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alta Vista Principal Dr. Barbara Shirley describes Kellemen as a beloved teacher and strong educational practitioner whose positive influence and reach go far beyond her classroom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAlex has the unique ability to build a rapport with students in all grade levels, their families, and staff. Students love her because she acknowledges their individuality. Families love her because she builds connections and cares about them. Colleagues love her because she willingly offers help that transforms instruction. Alex is an inspiration to all of us,\u201d Shirley says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the pandemic challenges that caused some students to be quarantined or learn from home, at the end of the school year 100% of Kellemen\u2019s students were deemed ready to progress to first grade.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m proud of how we took the challenge by the horns and succeeded together. To me, it proves that success is more than a test score,\u201d Kellemen says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n \u201cSuccess is measured by how well students feel safe, loved, respected, and accepted for who they are and what they have to offer, despite what they\u2019ve been through or are going through. Children must feel proud intrinsically and have their basic needs met before they are free to focus on their work and truly blossom,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kellemen credits student engagement and a positive classroom culture as the two biggest factors contributing to her students\u2019 high level of academic and emotional growth last year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n \u00a0At the start of the pandemic, Kellemen and her colleagues realized that they, along with their students and families, needed more support for emotional and mental health, not just academics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWithout the proper attention to mental health, it becomes quite difficult to learn and handle emotions, which impacts one\u2019s ability to function and get through his or her day successfully,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Kellemen used evidence-based social-emotional learning programs and positive behavior interventions to shift her focus and make mental health a priority for her students and herself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe spend time daily discussing how to cope with difficult situations and how to express ourselves using our words. Building this strong foundation for mental health most definitely will help my students be more successful not only this school year but in years to come,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kellemen is passionate about setting a positive tone to create a growth mindset for her kindergarteners\u2019 future education.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re little sponges, just soaking up new input for the very first time, and I see them grow right before my eyes.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n With 15 students in her classroom, Kellemen says, \u201cThat means 30 eyeballs are watching everything I do and 30 ears are hearing everything I say. I have to be vigilant and make sure that every day I\u2019m modeling the behavior I want them to display.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n She would like to remind the community that her students are absorbing words and actions all around them, not just in the classroom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSocial media allows people to say what they think with few consequences or repercussions. We all need to be careful what we say and how we act because these little sponges soak it in, and they are our future,\u201d Kellemen says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Teaching kindergarteners how to communicate with each other so they can use words for good and express their feelings appropriately is a major emphasis in Kellemen\u2019s classroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe impact of words is so powerful. Whether they are 5 or 25, learning to talk to each other is an extremely important skill, especially in a world where technology is prevalent and contributes to impersonal interactions,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Kellemen\u2019s class has a special mantra that they say as a group, and sometimes to each other, to help them remember to keep trying when they encounter challenges.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n With Kellemen saying each phrase and students repeating after her, the mantra goes like this:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am awesome.\u00a0<\/p>\n I can do hard things.\u00a0<\/p>\n I believe in myself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n My teacher believes in me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n One day, after repeating the last phrase, the students, on their own, added: \u201cAnd I believe in my teacher.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat meant so much to me,\u201d Kellemen says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my calling in life, and I have a big job to do.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Education Foundation of Sarasota County sponsors the Ignite Education: Teacher of the Year\u202fannual\u202frecognition in conjunction with Sarasota County Schools.\u202fThe Education Foundation\u202fis an independent, philanthropic\u202forganization whose mission is to enhance the potential of all students, promote excellence in teaching,\u202fand inspire innovation in education, guided by strategic philanthropy and the belief that education changes lives.\u202fFind more at EdFoundationSRQ.org<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/02\/15\/NSHT\/c2e9fbdb-0d1f-43a5-b722-3ca3f9a5bfe5-EFS_0721.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/02\/15\/NSHT\/b345139d-98e1-4f73-8e26-d15ebe80049c-KellemenAlexandra_Alta_Vista_Elementary.jpg?width=300&height=421&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
About the Education Foundation of Sarasota County\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n