CarrieHarper
Teacher:
ThirdGrade
Elementary
School
Sunnyside
Durango,CO
Biographical
information
applaudthird-gradeteacherCarrieHarperfor the
Students,parentsand colleagues
effectiveand creativewaysshe infusesher loveof learninginto the whole Sunnyside
they are with Harper'svibrant,
Elementary
community.Parentsremarkhow impressed
plays
to
each
student's
strengths
and recognizes
eachchild's
enthusiastic
teaching.She
u n i q u ew a y o f l e a r n i n g .
Highpraiseindeedfor someonewho hasonly beenteachingfor sixyears.However,
Harperis one who setsher eyeson a goalandthen seeksto exceedit. And sheasksno
lessfrom her students.Shedevelopslearningrubricswith standardsin mind,while
studentstracktheir own progressand get continualfeedbackleadingto the next levelof
achievement.
Harpercultivatesa lovefor readingas a lifelonghabit.Lastyearwhen shetaughtsecond
grade,83o/o
of her studentscompletedthe literacyprogram,readingwell over 3,000
minutesoutsideof the classroom.
Research
indicates
that studentswho readat this
levelsignificantly
is
outperformtheir peerswho do not readat home.Thisachievement
in Sunnyside's
especially
importantas Harperhasbeeninstrumental
compliance
with
(READ)
the ColoradoReading
to EnsureAcademicDevelopment
Act,whichfocuseson
earlyliteracydevelopment.
ForHarper,it's nevertoo soonto teachlife skillsor get studentsthinkingabouttheir
future.Partnering
with localorganizations,
she'sinvitedguestexpertsfrom PineRiver
ValleyBankto talk abouteconomics
and math and from the DoubletreeHotelto teach
recycling.
When studentsreadan articleon air pollutionin China,shecreatedan
projectin whichstudentschosea plantor "created"a hybridplantto
interdisciplinary
reducepollution.Theyevenwrote lettersto persuadeChinato givethe plantsa try!
Harper'simpactreachesbeyondher own classroom.
As a datateam leaderat
Sunnyside,
shehelpsto establishschoolassessments
and providesprofessional
development
to colleagues
in technology.Harperis enrolledin Fort LewisCollege's
first
program,emblematicof
cohortof studentsin the Masterof Arts in TeacherLeadership
the focuson lifelonglearningsheinstillsin her own students.