Nancy Berman, Teacher of the Year By Tim Clement

This year at A.CE, our own reading teacher Nancy Berman is Danbury’s Teacher of the Year. The title of Teacher of the Year for Danbury is definitely something to be proud of. Nancy is honored at the award the City of Danbury has given her.  This award opens up the door for Nancy to compete as the state of Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year.

Nancy has been a reading teacher here at the Alternative Center for 25 years now. Her classes are always interesting and have something new almost everyday. Inside the classroom, Nancy is a tough teacher. She’s always pushing her students to work to their fullest potential, never settling for anything less. Nancy has a strong belief in self-directed learning; which means the students have a say in what they would like to study.

In school, Nancy likes to teach her classes in and outside of the building. Nancy likes to integrate community service with actual school work. She brings her students out to local Elementary schools and Senior Citizen’s Centers to teach students not only in reading ability, but civic responsibilities that will someday help them strengthen their communities.

So overall, Nancy definitely deserves the title of Danbury’s 2010 Teacher of the Year. What she has accomplished here at the Alternative Center couldn’t be done by anyone else. Her way of teaching is very unique, and most students don’t see that. All they see is a teacher out to get them. But in reality, Nancy only wants what’s best for her students.