Meet Ms. Holly Andres, our dedicated 3rd-grade teacher at St. Francis School. Ms. Andres brought her passion for fostering a love of learning to St. Francis School this year after previously teaching 5th grade at Amery Public School. She describes the learning process with 3rd graders as very rewarding because her students are eager to learn, ask questions, and are excited to be at school.
In her 3rd-grade classroom, Ms. Andres creates a dynamic learning environment where students eagerly engage in various subjects. Her teaching style revolves around personalized instruction. She uses direct instruction to teach the class as a whole. If a lesson is too easy or more challenging than expected, she adjusts the material or changes her approach to ensure that students have the time and support they need to grasp new concepts. Following direct class instruction, Ms. Andres has students work together in pairs or groups to communicate their ideas and talk about their strategies for solving problems. As the students work, Ms. Andres is able to monitor how they are doing and work on them one-on-one if additional assistance is needed.
Ms. Andres takes pride in breaking down complex tasks, sharing a success story of transforming struggling writers into confident individuals. Her approach is to break down the steps to writing and focus on small components each day. When joining the components together to create a finished product, students have a better understanding of the questions they were asked in their writing prompts and have fewer grammatical mistakes. This has helped Ms. Andres’ students become accomplished, independent writers.
Ms. Andres enhances the learning experience by collaborating with the 4th and 5th-grade teachers to provide more challenging material for her students who are excelling in certain subject areas. She also utilizes tools like Math IXL to tailor learning experiences to individual students, whether they need additional support or more challenging material. In particular, Math IXL aids her students by showing them how to solve a problem that they get incorrect which helps them gain fluency and confidence in their math skills.
Aligned with the school’s mission, Ms. Andres provides her students with leadership opportunities and gives them tools to be good role models and friends. She emphasizes virtues by identifying when students are modeling virtuous behavior. She also stresses accountability for her students’ actions, words, and choices. She finds that when her students are aware that the choices they make have an impact on them, they model appropriate behavior that helps to create a supportive community within her classroom.
An innovative approach to student engagement that Ms. Andres is implementing in her classroom is a class goal-setting activity. Ms. Andres and her students collaboratively set goals and her students earn points for positive behavior and virtues such as being respectful, following directions, and using work time wisely. When the students reach a set number of points, they earn a reward. This activity has not only promoted accountability but has also enhanced student motivation and engagement.
Ms. Andres’ joy in being part of the St. Francis School community is evident, appreciating the kindness, assistance, and support she has experienced this year. She has seen herself grow as a teacher and develop a better understanding of her faith with the assistance of other teachers and staff. Ms. Andres has also been readily available to parents and families, ensuring open communication through weekly newsletters, emails, and phone calls. We celebrate Ms. Holly Andres for her commitment to creating a positive and enriching learning environment at St. Francis School!