May 5 — Kit Standridge has a special skill.
In his Spanish class at the Academy of Technology and Classics, everyone is accepted and valued, said Jason Morgan, the school’s principal.
“She is at the pinnacle of teachers who are just welcoming, caring and thoughtful to every student that walks through the door – making sure that every single one of them feels supported, feels included, feels like they belong,” Morgan said.
But it doesn’t stop with students.
“It’s great for adults, too,” Morgan said.
Perhaps that’s why Standridge’s fellow teachers stood and applauded during a special ceremony Friday in the ATC gymnasium as the Spanish teacher received an Excellence in Teaching Award Golden Apple.
From their seats in the gymnasium bleachers, Standridge students also cheered, shaping their hands into hearts and showering the teacher with hugs and congratulations.
Standridge is one of five high school teachers in the state to receive the prestigious award, which has recognized excellence in teaching for 30 years, said Pam Powers, executive director of the Golden Apple Foundation of New Mexico. Winning teachers receive a $1,500 cash award and a $2,500 stipend to participate in their dream professional development program.
This year, the competition for the prize was fierce. The difference between a Golden Apple Award winner and a really good teacher is their ability to build a strong school community, Powers said.
This community building is exactly how Standridge has stood out.
“The parents, the students, the administration and the community around them have been very involved and supportive of the work that Kit does at the school as well as what she does for all of these different groups,” Powers said .
Technically, Standridge teaches intermediate and advanced Spanish courses at ATC in addition to serving as the school’s English language development coordinator, providing administrative supervision for students working toward full academic English proficiency .
But she does much more than teach.
Standridge coordinates the school’s peer mentoring program, which pairs older students with younger students to develop positive study habits, self-advocacy skills and connections to school.
The hope, Standridge said, is that students leave the mentoring program knowing one thing: “There are people at school who know me and love me. »
“I want kids to have a sense of belonging. I want them to feel like school is for them, that it’s their place where they feel safe,” she said.
She also oversees the school’s Seal of Bilingualism program, which honors students who have achieved proficiency in a language other than English. Standridge’s goal, she said, is to affirm native languages other than English while encouraging native English speakers to master another language.
In addition to her academic and extracurricular roles, Standridge is what Morgan calls a “building leader.” She is quick with constructive feedback and always willing to help resolve problems, two traits that improve…
