6/3/2021
Education and Outreach
This past December, teacher Amy Zeiders realized her first-grade students had gone several months without ever seeing each other in person.
“They didn't know their classmates existed as people from the shoulders down,” says Zeiders, a teacher at Lorna J. Kesterson Elementary School.
So, she threw them a socially distanced holiday party outside her house.
With every student invited, the party included a hot cocoa bar, gifts for everyone, singalong carols and a drive-by visit from Santa who called to each student by name.
“The parents could see the joy in their children’s faces from interacting with other kids,” she recalls. “They also got a chance to see me as a person, which was important. I was not just a character on their screen like Mister Rogers or Barney.”
This represents just one of many ways Zeiders went to great lengths in making distance learning work smoothly — both for her class, and her school overall.
The Smith Center honored Zeiders’ dedication by naming her one of the 20 top teachers for its sixth-annual Heart of Education Awards, recognizing outstanding Clark County School District (CCSD) teachers. With support from The Rogers Foundation, the honorees each received a $5,000 cash award, a medallion and a $1,000 donation to their schools.
“I'm very thankful that they provide this opportunity to the teachers of (CCSD) to spotlight and highlight them,” Zeiders says. “I do hope they continue to give these awards, as the pandemic has highlighted how important teachers are.”
From Panic to Leading the Way
When Zeiders learned CCSD would transition to distance learning during the pandemic, her first reaction was “panic,” she recalls.
But knowing students and parents would feel similar, she took the reins to help guide them through it.
Agreeing to become the school’s contact for Canvas — a course management system for distance learning — she dived into learning about it, then organized video tutorial sessions for students and families.
“These were varied by times, including weekends, so that I could maximize the help needed for parents on their schedules,” she says, adding that she also guided parents in computer and internet fundamentals. “They were very thankful for the sessions. Most of the parents got the hang of it within the first three weeks.”
She also helped other teachers create their Canvas homepages and helped give them a crash course on using the system.
“I think it was important (to me) because I like teaching, first of all, and sharing knowledge,” she says. “Also, I think it is important for the school to be united and disseminate the same information via this platform.”
Wigs, Dancing and Parties
Zeiders knew her first graders might have challenges with learning from a screen all day.
“They are used to TV and games where the images change by the seconds,” she says.
With that in mind, she incorporated every exciting visual into her teaching that she could conceive of, spanning wigs, Mickey Mouse hands, sunglasses, wands and more.
Also realizing that most kids rarely moved from their couch during distance learning, she infused daily dance activities to promote exercise, such as boogying to KC and the Sunshine Band.
“I told the students, ‘You never know what you will see each day in Ms. Zeiders’ class, so you have to come every day,’” she says. “The majority of the year I had 90 percent attendance in class every day, and these students were engaged!”
A Well-Earned Surprise
As the pandemic prevented The Smith Center’s red-carpet event for its sixth-annual Heart of Education Awards, the nonprofit surprised teachers this year with giant checks and medallions at their schools.
“I was totally shocked,” Zeiders says of the visit from Myron Martin, Smith Center president and CEO.
Planning to let her students decide how to spend the $1,000 donation to their school, Zeiders says she simply appreciates that parents and the community value her efforts.
“It was just nice to know that parents can see I go above and beyond for my students,” she says.