Dressing up as a queen to introduce the letter ‘Q’ and how it looks and sounds was a relatively easy choice for kindergarten teacher Alex Kellemen.
“It was the ‘V’ that stumped me for a while, and then I came up with making a paper volcano and hanging it on my belt,” Kellemen says.
Known for her innovative teaching tactics that include wearing colorful costumes to support traditional learning, Kellemen regularly delights students, parents and fellow teachers at Alta Vista Elementary School by showing up at school dressed as a mouse, dinosaur, rabbit, and king, among others. One day she wore a cluster of balloons.
Ignite Education: Motivated by students who overcome obstacles
Ignite Education: From rescuing manatees to teaching sixth-grade science
If her exploits give students and colleagues reasons to start their days with laughs, she’s fine with that.
“At school we’re essentially one big family, so it’s important to make positive impacts that have ripple effects. Plus, I love to make people laugh, and I find happiness in helping others,” Kellemen says.
Alta Vista Principal Dr. Barbara Shirley describes Kellemen as a beloved teacher and strong educational practitioner whose positive influence and reach go far beyond her classroom.
“Alex has the unique ability to build a rapport with students in all grade levels, their families, and staff. Students love her because she acknowledges their individuality. Families love her because she builds connections and cares about them. Colleagues love her because she willingly offers help that transforms instruction. Alex is an inspiration to all of us,” Shirley says.
Despite the pandemic challenges that caused some students to be quarantined or learn from home, at the end of the school year 100% of Kellemen’s students were deemed ready to progress to first grade.
“I’m proud of how we took the challenge by the horns and succeeded together. To me, it proves that success is more than a test score,” Kellemen says.
“Success is measured by how well students feel safe, loved, respected, and accepted for who they are and what they have to offer, despite what they’ve been through or are going through. Children must feel proud intrinsically and have their basic needs met before they are free to focus on their work and truly blossom,” she says.
Kellemen credits student engagement and a positive classroom culture as the two biggest factors contributing to her students’ high level of academic and emotional growth last year.
At the start of the pandemic, Kellemen and her colleagues realized that they, along with their students and families, needed more support for emotional and mental health, not just academics.
“Without the proper attention to mental health, it becomes quite difficult to learn and handle emotions, which impacts one’s ability to function and get through his or her day successfully,” she says.
Kellemen used evidence-based social-emotional learning programs and positive behavior interventions to shift her focus and make mental health a priority for her students and herself.
“We spend time daily discussing how to cope with difficult situations and how to express ourselves using our words. Building this strong foundation for mental health most definitely will help my students be more successful not only this school year but in years to come,” she says.
Kellemen is passionate about setting a positive tone to create a growth mindset for her kindergarteners’ future education.
“They’re little sponges, just soaking up new input for the very first time, and I see them grow right before my eyes.”
With 15 students in her classroom, Kellemen says, “That means 30 eyeballs are watching everything I do and 30 ears are hearing everything I say. I have to be vigilant and make sure that every day I’m modeling the behavior I want them to display.”
She would like to remind the community that her students are absorbing words and actions all around them, not just in the classroom.
“Social media allows people to say what they think with few consequences or repercussions. We all need to be careful what we say and how we act because these little sponges soak it in, and they are our future,” Kellemen says.
Teaching kindergarteners how to communicate with each other so they can use words for good and express their feelings appropriately is a major emphasis in Kellemen’s classroom.
“The impact of words is so powerful. Whether they are 5 or 25, learning to talk to each other is an extremely important skill, especially in a world where technology is prevalent and contributes to impersonal interactions,” she says.
Kellemen’s class has a special mantra that they say as a group, and sometimes to each other, to help them remember to keep trying when they encounter challenges.
With Kellemen saying each phrase and students repeating after her, the mantra goes like this:
“I am awesome.
I can do hard things.
I believe in myself.
My teacher believes in me.”
One day, after repeating the last phrase, the students, on their own, added: “And I believe in my teacher.”
“That meant so much to me,” Kellemen says.
“This is my calling in life, and I have a big job to do.”
About the Education Foundation of Sarasota County
The Education Foundation of Sarasota County sponsors the Ignite Education: Teacher of the Year annual recognition in conjunction with Sarasota County Schools. The Education Foundation is an independent, philanthropic organization whose mission is to enhance the potential of all students, promote excellence in teaching, and inspire innovation in education, guided by strategic philanthropy and the belief that education changes lives. Find more at EdFoundationSRQ.org.
