Healdton native named regional teacher of the year

Codi SaxonFebruary 28, 2022

1 3 minutes read

The votes are in, and Healdton Middle School Teacher and Mentor Natalie Norman has been named regional trainer of the year. In the classroom Norman teaches computer science and spelling, and on the subject she’s the assistant softball coach. Having said that her knowledge at the university, both as a teacher and a scholar herself, goes considerably additional back.

“I went to Healdton all my lifestyle, and graduated in 2006,” Norman said. “I went on to Southeastern for school then came suitable again to Healdton to teach, and I have been here for 11 several years.”

During her to start with 10 yrs doing work at the college, Norman taught 2nd quality. She transferred to the middle college at the starting of the existing college yr. The fact that she commenced her profession instructing next grade is particularly significant due to the fact it was her personal second quality trainer who was her inspiration.

“I beloved the way she taught, and from then on that’s all I wished to do,” Norman claimed. “I favored her passion in the classroom for the young children that she taught, and I arrived home and advised my dad and mom I hardly ever desired to be anything at all else but a instructor. So that’s the path I went down.”

One attention-grabbing aspect of training in the two the elementary and the middle college is that she has experienced some of her learners twice now.

“It truly is been genuinely amazing,” she mentioned. “It is really remarkable to see how they’ve developed physically and mentally, but then once more not a lot has modified from when I experienced them in next grade. It is been great to see them and get to know these youngsters on a distinct amount than I did when they were being 2nd graders.”

Remaining a coach has also supplied another possibility to sort deeper connections with her pupils.

“This is my very first calendar year on the area with the girls, and you just develop these associations with them that goes beyond the classroom,” Norman stated. “I can truly relate to them for the reason that I grew up enjoying every sport Healdton had to give. You get to know them on a much more particular degree, and I come to feel like I can be there for the women about things that maybe they do not necessarily feel relaxed sharing in thee standard classroom.”

It can be not just the athletes that variety particular bonds with Norman. The mother or father who nominated her wrote that “Natalie is always there to hug the kids when they are feeling lonely, or providing them loving text to retain going.” The nomination went on to say that Norman is acknowledged for handing out cookies, sweet and popcorn to the college students at the middle school at the close of the working day.

“I like to make confident that just about every kid is bundled, and it is just a fun thing to do,” she claimed. “I attempt to carry some of that elementary into the center college. I just want all the little ones to know that they’re unique to me and to the other college members, and I like demonstrating that to them.”

When she’s not at school, Norman likes to spend time with her partner and a few young children ages 9, 5 and two. Her oldest little one is involved in baseball, and the relatives often travels to attend game titles. They also take pleasure in going to OU events and expending time at the lake during the summer months.

She shared some suggestions to all the future teachers out there.

“Do it due to the fact you want to do it and mainly because you have a passion for it,” Norman explained. “There is a large amount of noise about how instructors really don’t get paid out ample, but which is not why I do it. That’s not why I am a trainer, and I went into it realizing what lecturers ended up heading to make. Presently I truly feel like a great deal is place on the lecturers about what we can do and what we won’t be able to do and what we can teach and what we cannot train. You just have to go in each working day knowing that you are there to make a difference in a kid’s lifestyle. Do what you do and do it with the passion that you went into it for. At the close of the working day you are there for the young children.”