Encouragement – Elizabeth Sanders states this to be the most important thing she can offer her students. “Every child is capable of being successful; they just need to find the success in themselves and believe in themselves.”
Elizabeth Sanders in her classroom on Hat Day which raises money for the SCW Relay For Life team.
Sanders teaches seventh grade students language arts and history at St. Clare Walker. Before coming to SCW 3 years ago, she taught language arts at Peasley Middle School in Gloucester. A native of Lancaster, Virginia, and graduate of Lancaster High, Sanders still resides there with her husband of almost one year.
After high school graduation, Sanders earned a Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s of Art in Education from James Madison University. She declares, “I bleed purple!” concerning her JMU alumni status. Currently, Sanders is working toward her Master’s in Educational Leadership from William and Mary.
In her classroom, the focus is on reading. Sanders loves teaching novel units. She explains, “I enjoy sharing my love for reading, and I am always looking to spark an interest in my students. When my students start talking about the novel we’re reading without me asking questions first, I know they’re connecting with the book. What’s even better is when a student asks, ‘Is there are sequel?’ or ‘Are there anymore books by this author?’” Every year, Sanders feels her main goal is to keep students engaged in school, and one way she accomplishes this is by helping students deepen or discover their love for reading.
Student role-play is another activity Sanders uses to enrich her students’ reading experience. This year she collaborated with Judy Murray, the SCW media specialist, on a Jerry Spinelli study. After reading Spinelli’s autobiography, Knots in My Yo-Yo String, students read another of the author’s works on their own and completed further research on Spinelli. Following their research, students were grouped together to do Spinelli interviews. Each group had someone play the role of Spinelli, and the rest of the students in the group were either interviewers or cameramen. Through this activity, students were exposed to an author and were able to show their acting skills during the interviews. Sanders states, “The creativity was amazing to watch. I feel that any activity that gets students thinking outside of the box is great!”
In addition to her time in the classroom, Sanders touches the lives of all SCW students through her work as sponsor of SCW’s Student Council Association. Each year, Sanders hosts the SOL pep rally, the variety show, and many other activities for the entertainment and enjoyment of the entire staff and student body of the school. She also sponsors the SCW Relay For Life team, and encourages all students to be community-minded and serve others.
With all that Sanders does for the students of SCW, it’s hard to imagine that she has any free time to herself. In addition to reading when she does manage to carve out a few moments, she enjoys scrapbooking, spending time with friends, and going to the beach, and she is a fan of the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Redskins.
The dedication Elizabeth Sanders has to the students of SCW makes her an asset to Middlesex Schools, and her nomination as SCW Teacher of the Year by her colleagues shows that others recognize her remarkable performance. She is a true asset to the MCPS family.
Middlesex County Public Schools 