Webster Given Teaching Award
By Amanda Compton-Ortiz/The Tribune
Thursday, April 27, 2006 10:36 AM CDT
OXFORD, Miss. – Susan Webster, a student teacher at Shadow Oaks Elementary School since January, has received the University of Mississippi School of Education Robert W. Plants Student Teaching Award in Elementary Education.
The university's Department of Curriculum and Instruction presents the award each year to the outstanding student teacher in elementary education, in special education and in secondary education.
"It was a big surprise," said Webster following her notification of the award by Dr. Robert C. Khayat, Ole Miss chancellor. "I was really overwhelmed. I felt like all of my hard work was worth it."
Webster will graduate with an elementary education degree in May from the Ole Miss two-plus-two program at the university's DeSoto Center in Southaven. In the two-plus-two partnership, Northwest Mississippi Community College offers the first two years of the college academic program and The University of Mississippi provides the third and fourth years.
Webster is one of eight student teachers at Shadow Oaks Elementary. She teaches first grade.
"She's wonderful," said Shadow Oaks Elementary principal Traci Suiter. "We are honored to have her here."
Webster was nominated for the award by her university supervisor Dr. Bobbie Smothers-Jones, associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the Ole Miss DeSoto Center.
"Susan is an excellent teacher," Smothers-Jones said.
"She posseses all of the essential qualities that others look for in an understanding and caring teacher. She is very deserving of this award."
Smothers-Jones said she chose Webster for the award after observing and evaluating her classroom teaching skills.
"Susan has a gift for teaching," she said. "She uses all of the effective types of instructional techniques and qualities we have taught her during her course work here at the university.
"We do have other excellent student teachers enrolled here at the university but she was the best."
Webster was recognized for the award on April 6 at the Honors Convocation held in the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Mississippi's main campus in Oxford.
Amanda Compton-Ortiz can be reached at (662) 895-6220, by fax at (662) 895-4377 or by e-mail at amanda@dctribune.com.
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