• Parsons Blewitt             group             Teacher
     
    ST. LOUIS, MO. December 10, 2012 – The St. Louis Public School District has presented the 2012 Washington University’s Center for the Humanities Communication Arts Teacher of the Year Award to Anna Moffatt Gardner-Andrews at Vashon Community Education Full Service High School for understanding the unique and individual needs of the whole student.

     

    “Ms. Gardner-Andrews is a natural leader and an excellent teacher, but more importantly she is highly supportive of her students. It is not uncommon to see her cheering on her students at their games, recitals, and performances,” said Derrick Mitchell, Principal at Vashon Community Education Full Service High School.

     

    In 2005, Ms. Anna Moffatt Gardner-Andrews began teaching English and AVID at Vashon, and was promoted a year later to English Department Chair. Her teaching philosophy centers on Rhonda Maxwell and Mary Jordan Meiser’s book Teaching English in Middle and Secondary Schools, which simply states “learning ultimately belongs to the student.”  As a result, she implements a variety of strategies to ensure the success of each learner within her classroom. 

     

    “The ultimate goal is that the student learns, not that a carefully crafted plan goes exactly as expected.  As an English teacher I must be particularly flexible.  For instance, even though I may want my students to understand personification after simply looking through the lens of a Frost poem, this may not always be a realistic expectation.  However, they very well might be able to grasp onto this literary technique after also reading through a few of TuPac Shukor’s poems.  Shukor is known as a master of words and rhythmic rap within the Hip Hop culture.  His language is not only interesting, it is blaringly real to them,” said Gardner-Andrews.

     

    As the 2012 Washington University’s Center for the Humanities Communication Arts Teacher of the Year, Ms. Anna Moffatt Gardner-Andrews has received a $1,000 check through the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation. In addition, she was presented a trophy, a plaque, and a $500 award for professional development and/or related education materials through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund.   For more information please contact the Office of Public Information (314) 345-2367.