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It was a commonly busy scene at Mrs. Pam Olson’s 2nd grade classroom this past Tuesday afternoon. The kids had constructed stories in which they were to stay on topic and were now reciting them in front of their classmates. Soon it would be time for the kids to get ready to leave which, in this weather, means about 15 minutes of putting on layers of coats, gloves, and hats.
Mrs. Olson cheerfully prodded a shy student to read her composition about puppies. The other students sat patiently waiting their turn.
There is something uncommon and magnificent happening in this familiar scene. Kids are learning, they’re sharing, and they’re actually having a fun time. Behind it all is Mrs. Olson, District #840’s Teacher of the Year, serving as mentor, evaluator, and guardian angel 8 hours a day, five days a week.
“She’s just awesome with the students,” said Melanie Inglett who works with Olson as a paraprofessional. “She is happy all the time, always responsive to kids’ questions and she’s a great listener.”
The qualities that make Pam Olson a great choice for Teacher of the Year are easy to see. She’s got the empathetic touch these youngsters respond to and the knowledge and confidence to get the kids on the right path. Her passion for her profession and hometown goes back decades to when she graduated from St. James High School in 1974.
“I graduated the same year Northside Elementary was built,” explained Olson recently. “I remember wishing that someday I would be a teacher in that new school.”
Back when Mrs. Olson was in 2nd grade when teachers asked her to write or draw about what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer was invariably a teacher. Of course, there were a few forks in the road of life which Olson navigated before getting her dream job. She got married, raised three kids (and two more later on), and worked on a farm and as a bookkeeper before taking college courses to become a teacher. Finally, in 1994, Mrs. Olson joined the Northside Elementary team. Her high school graduation wishes had come true.
Now 16 years later Pam Olson was honored by her peers with the 2010 Teacher of the Year award this week. She will now be eligible for Minnesota Teacher of the Year, but really this is a nice honor in and of itself.
“I work with a very dedicated group of people who work very hard to provide a quality education for all children,” said Olson about getting this award. “I am very honored to have been chosen as Teacher of the Year.”
Each Teacher of the Year candidate (along with Olson there was Mike Huss and Steve Walker) must be nominated. Mrs. Olson’s nomination talked about her role as a teacher, as a coach, and as a person. That nomination said she is “mother figure to so many young people in our school system.” That word “mother” came up again in describing her as a coach: “Mother, friend, coach, competitior.”
Olson coaches the c-squad volleyball team in addition to assisting Steve Chapin with the varsity. She recently talked about how that facet of her life is so important to her:
“I love coaching at the c-squad level. The girls are starting to learn the meaning of team. They come to find out it’s about skills and how you connect with other players.”
Olson is an expert in connecting with her young pupils. Back in the classroom she attempts the difficult task of organizing a good class photo for this story. Some kids are ducking out of the way, others are giving rabbit ears. It’s a testament to Olson that it only took three tries to get the photo you see here.
And what about those kids? Well, Mrs. Olson says she gets back from them just as much as they get from her. I asked her what do you do when you’re feeling “off” somedays. Her response:
“There’s nothing like coming to this school. If you are having a down day you can come here and pretty soon somebody’s going to say something that makes you smile... the kids just keep you young.”
It was a commonly busy scene at Mrs. Pam Olson’s 2nd grade classroom this past Tuesday afternoon. The kids had constructed stories in which they were to stay on topic and were now reciting them in front of their classmates. Soon it would be time for the kids to get ready to leave which, in this weather, means about 15 minutes of putting on layers of coats, gloves, and hats.
Mrs. Olson cheerfully prodded a shy student to read her composition about puppies. The other students sat patiently waiting their turn.
There is something uncommon and magnificent happening in this familiar scene. Kids are learning, they’re sharing, and they’re actually having a fun time. Behind it all is Mrs. Olson, District #840’s Teacher of the Year, serving as mentor, evaluator, and guardian angel 8 hours a day, five days a week.
“She’s just awesome with the students,” said Melanie Inglett who works with Olson as a paraprofessional. “She is happy all the time, always responsive to kids’ questions and she’s a great listener.”
The qualities that make Pam Olson a great choice for Teacher of the Year are easy to see. She’s got the empathetic touch these youngsters respond to and the knowledge and confidence to get the kids on the right path. Her passion for her profession and hometown goes back decades to when she graduated from St. James High School in 1974.
“I graduated the same year Northside Elementary was built,” explained Olson recently. “I remember wishing that someday I would be a teacher in that new school.”
Back when Mrs. Olson was in 2nd grade when teachers asked her to write or draw about what she wanted to be when she grew up, the answer was invariably a teacher. Of course, there were a few forks in the road of life which Olson navigated before getting her dream job. She got married, raised three kids (and two more later on), and worked on a farm and as a bookkeeper before taking college courses to become a teacher. Finally, in 1994, Mrs. Olson joined the Northside Elementary team. Her high school graduation wishes had come true.
Now 16 years later Pam Olson was honored by her peers with the 2010 Teacher of the Year award this week. She will now be eligible for Minnesota Teacher of the Year, but really this is a nice honor in and of itself.
“I work with a very dedicated group of people who work very hard to provide a quality education for all children,” said Olson about getting this award. “I am very honored to have been chosen as Teacher of the Year.”
Each Teacher of the Year candidate (along with Olson there was Mike Huss and Steve Walker) must be nominated. Mrs. Olson’s nomination talked about her role as a teacher, as a coach, and as a person. That nomination said she is “mother figure to so many young people in our school system.” That word “mother” came up again in describing her as a coach: “Mother, friend, coach, competitior.”
Olson coaches the c-squad volleyball team in addition to assisting Steve Chapin with the varsity. She recently talked about how that facet of her life is so important to her:
“I love coaching at the c-squad level. The girls are starting to learn the meaning of team. They come to find out it’s about skills and how you connect with other players.”
Olson is an expert in connecting with her young pupils. Back in the classroom she attempts the difficult task of organizing a good class photo for this story. Some kids are ducking out of the way, others are giving rabbit ears. It’s a testament to Olson that it only took three tries to get the photo you see here.
And what about those kids? Well, Mrs. Olson says she gets back from them just as much as they get from her. I asked her what do you do when you’re feeling “off” somedays. Her response:
“There’s nothing like coming to this school. If you are having a down day you can come here and pretty soon somebody’s going to say something that makes you smile... the kids just keep you young.”
