Ms. Kleckner is our March Teacher of the Month!
We are delighted to announce Denise Kleckner as our March 2023 Teacher of the Month! Ms. Kleckner is a 3rd grade Spanish Immersion teacher at Bret Harte Elementary School and has been teaching for eight years. She is being recognized for her passion, work ethic, and commitment to her students, school, and community.
Ms. Kleckner is capable, kind, flexible, and incredibly dedicated to her students and school community. Ms. Kleckner engages with her class and makes sure the students with the highest need are given the support they need and deserve. One of Ms. Kleckner’s colleagues shared that “she shows up for her students every day with energy and warmth, while also maintaining high expectations for all students and providing stability and structure for her young learners. Her classroom is the definition of a safe-haven for learning, covered in greenery, leaves, and string lights, far from the average sterile classroom environment. Her care for how her students feel in their learning environment shows through even past the woodsy theme, with her wall section that features one student at a time with their name, photo, and classwork.”
Ms. Kleckner’s unique teaching strategies always keep learning fun and engaging. Her class is a Spanish Immersion class, so students are learning in both Spanish and English throughout the day. Denise dedicates certain times of the day for Spanish-only time, and certain times of the day for English-only time, so that students are getting equitable time in both languages and don’t fall behind in either. One colleague shared, “she hangs a sign at the front of her room (like an “Open/Closed” sign on a store door) that says “English” on one side and “Spanish” on the other. When it is time to transition from one to the other, she flips to the other side and transitions this way. This is an effective visual cue for students so that they always know what language they should be focused on during the day. This also keeps the day predictable for students, all of whom are learning a new language which is an incredibly vulnerable undertaking for anyone.”
As an outstanding educator, Ms. Kleckner’s considerate and consistent support for her classroom and community at Bret Harte Elementary School are worthy of tremendous admiration. Thank you for all you do to support your students, Ms. Kleckner. We appreciate the passion you have for education. Congratulations on being our March 2023 Teacher of the Month!