Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/39006
WE ARE AEA! • WE ARE AEA! • WE ARE AEA! • WE ARE AEA! 2011 AEA chRistA mcAuLiFFE “i touch thE FutuRE, i tEAch” AWARd Christa McAuliffe was a “practical vision- ary” who reached for the stars. Since her tragic death in the Challenger crash in 1986, the phrase she coined to describe her profes- sion – “I touch the future, I teach” – lives on in our hearts, inspiring us to give our best. The award AEA named after Christa McAuliffe goes each year to a teacher like Christa, who inspired those around her, had a sense of humor and optimism, and nurtured curiosity and hope in children. Donna Youdelman Flowing Wells Education Association Donna Youdelman is greatly admired by her peers for her devotion to teaching and intense desire to make a difference in her students’ lives. For the past 25 years, Donna has devoted her life to advocating for her students because of her strong belief that children need to find their voice as well as have someone speak up for them. This Special Education teacher is also a past recipient of the AEA LIFT grant for incorporat- ing yoga into her class to assist students with extreme behavioral challenges by incorporating movement to keep students engaged and improve learn- ing. At Centennial Elementary School, she is known as a behavior specialist and is frequently turned to for as- sistance in dealing with disruptive students. Donna is often heard saying she “loves the bad kids,” and her tech- niques have assisted many of her fellow teachers with their own students. Donna fully embraces culture diversity as a basic respect for individuals while desiring to learn and share even more from her students as well as their parents. In addition to sharing her own culture, Donna has an annual Chinese New Year festival with her students, complete with food and a dragon parade. On Cinco de Mayo, Donna will prepare beans, salsa, and tortillas for her students. One year she took her students on a virtual tour around the world. Her students researched different countries around 30 Fall 2011 ❘ AEA Advocate the world, presented their findings, and then had a feast of the foods relevant to that culture. Donna is always looking to learn more about innovative teaching methods for herself as well as others. This past summer, she went to China to both teach at an elementary school in Nanjing as well as observe their teaching practices with the hopes of bringing back tech- niques that could be implemented in American schools. Donna also spends much of her time mentoring new teachers at her school and stu- dent teachers at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. Her support for her profession is further Donna is often heard saying she “loves the bad kids,” and her techniques have assisted many of her fellow teachers with their own students. demonstrated by her involvement in her profes- sional association. Donna is a trained advocacy representative for the Flowing Wells Education Association and has served as their treasurer for the past seven years. Through her position as Steering Committee Representative for Career Ladder, Donna is able to share concerns from her schools with others in the district and guide other teachers through Career Ladder require- ments. She attends public board meetings and is part of her district’s meet-and-confer team. Donna keeps her colleagues informed about education issues and is frequently the “go-to” person at her school for information about edu- cation law, advocacy, and teaching procedures. Above all, Donna is an advocate for students. She makes sure that accommo- dations are being made during general teach- ing situations as well as during state-mandated tests. Donna is the special-needs coordinator for her local Boy Scout troop, and her greatest accomplishment was assisting an intellectually challenged boy attain the rank of Eagle Scout, making him the first special- needs child to gain this achievement in Tucson, Arizona. Donna is a great teacher and, through her devotion to her students and her fellow teach- ers, she demonstrates her dedication to the teaching profession. One of her special-needs students put it best, “Mrs. Youdelman is so smart, she can teach rocket science to anyone and they will understand it.” ✒