Ada Teacher of the Year
Cindy Ardrey, Glenwood, is selected Teacher of the Year!
Ardrey has seven years of experience. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and a Master’s in Counseling from ECU. She began her career at Wayne but four years ago moved to Glenwood. She is married and expecting her first child this fall. Teaching honors have included Cougar Paw and several Ada City Schools Foundation Grants. She has participated in Reading First, A+ Schools, Love and Logic, Great Expectations, Literacy First, Steve Spangler Science Workshops and has attended the National Kindergarten Conference.
Ardrey, who attended ECU on a Cross-Country scholarship, feels truly blessed to be surrounded by the experienced and knowledgeable teachers at Glenwood. She said they are always willing to share ideas and experiences that help foster student learning.
She has never looked at her job as an occupation but views her profession as an opportunity to change lives and ensure that the children are given every opportunity to succeed.
Great teachers share several traits, Ardrey believes. “A great teacher is one that is willing to learn new teaching techniques, create and implement novel and age-specific lessons, manage time well, and find many pathways to deal with behavior problems,” Ardrey said. “A great teacher also needs to think outside the box. He or she needs to develop lessons that make appropriate impressions on their students." “A great teacher also needs to keep in mind that each child is unique and needs to be taught in such a way that each child’s needs are addressed on an individual basis.”
Ardrey sees many rewards associated with teaching. She has many fond memories from her classroom, both past and present. She cherishes each moment in the classroom with her students.
She wakes every morning with a heart that is refreshed and the knowledge that “Yeah! Today is a 'School-Day!'" and this is reflected in the classroom of The System’s Teacher of the Year.
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