#LastBell – Alicia Mehraban

I would like to honor Alicia Mehraban, a science teacher in Dublin City Schools. She began teaching in 1971 but over the years took eight years off to be mommy. She has taught science in grades six through nine but it currently teaching seventh grade. She says, “My greatest pleasure (in teaching) is interacting with young people and learning from them. They keep me humble and current. I have fun! I laugh out loud with my students everyday. Even though I can have the same schedule, every day and every class is different and never boring.” 

I have the opportunity to be with Mrs. Mehraban twice a week when I support one of my ELL students in her classroom. I have been witness to the professionalism and respect she exudes with her students. What I love most about Mrs. Mehraban is that she puts the students in charge of their own learning. They have an agenda, which she reviews at the beginning of the period then off they go to work. She is actively monitoring the class and available for help always. 

One day a student asked her a question during a test. They didn’t remember what something meant and instead of her saying, just guess or try your best; she said they could look at their notes then come back the next day to answer the question. She wants them to learn not be penalized for not knowing. This is a powerful message that would be great to hear from other teachers…let’s learn not penalize. 

Mrs. Mehraban has seen education change over the years. She said, “when I started teaching, assessment was for evaluating students; now it is for evaluating student understanding so teachers can adjust instruction. The focus has moved from the student’s grade to the student’s level of understanding.”

We can all learn from Mrs. Mehraban – we need to put our students first in learning!

Teacher Appreciation Week – Mrs. Miller

In this blog post, I will celebrate my daughter’s third grade teacher, Mrs. Miller. My daughter loves school and is an avid learner and reader. She struggles a bit with math but with the proper support, she’s able to achieve.

Let me tell you about Mrs. Miller…She was my daughter’s third grade teacher at Scioto Darby Elementary in Hilliard, OH. She gave my daughter the support she needed while challenging her at the same time. I want to share with you a little story about Mrs. Miller.

My daughter was asked to be in a small group for some extra reading enrichment called Junior Guild. It was during the school day and was led by a parent. She had a book to read with short stories and sometimes had homework to complete. One of the homework assignments she did not complete on time so I emailed the mom to see if we could have another day to work on it. She said sh needed to contact Mrs. Miller so she could handle it.

Mrs Miller talked to my daughter about it when I came in to pick her up early for a dentist appointment. Instead of talking to me and asking me to handle it, she spoke right to my daughter. She squatted down and asked her the questions and waited for her feedback. She stated that it was an extra group and that she didn’t need to be included. My daughter was worried that she wouldn’t be considered a good reader if she wasn’t a part of this group. This idea was destroyed immediately by Mrs. Miller…she would still be considered an excellent reader even if she wasn’t in this group. She allowed my daughter to think about it and wanted her answer in the next day or two.

Mrs. Miller allowed my daughter to take ownership of her decision making and gave her choice. She treated her with such respect and empowered her to decide her future with this group. She is still my daughter’s favorite teacher and I totally understand why…Mrs. Miller gave my daughter wings to fly on her own while still providing a comfortable landing spot.

Thank you Mrs. Miller for being a light for my daughter…