New York State Regent Roger Tilles shared poetry and conversation with Fairfield Elementary School sixth-graders when he came to personally congratulate their teacher Glenna Raskin for a job well done. Raskin was named a 2015 Educator of Excellence by the New York State English Council for her outstanding skills as an English language arts teacher.
After Regent Tilles greeted the students and explained what his job is, the students eagerly shared their most recent writing assignments based on the book Odd Boy Out by Don Brown, in which they explored themes of failure, growth, survival and resiliency. They were also quick to answer any questions Regent Tilles had about what they learned from the assignment.
Raskin said of her students, “I tell them that the best stories are those that elicit emotion and there were tears in my eyes when I was reading their finished stories. They made me proud. We have the best job in the world.”
Regent Tilles read to the class the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and taught the students poetry complete with animated gestures in a moment he called “one of the best parts of my job.”
Prior to visiting the classroom, Regent Tilles sat down with Superintendent Lucille F. Iconis, the district’s K-12 English Curriculum Associate Kevin Harrington, Fairfield Principal Lori Dano and Assistant Principal Kristi Gerhard, as well as Raskin, to discuss the latest issues in education, including those centered on the Common Core Learning Standards.
“We were honored to have Regent Tilles visit the classroom of one of our most dynamic teachers,” said Superintendent Iconis. “His visit was truly enlightening and thought-provoking as we discussed the most pressing issues in education today.”
-Submitted by Massapequa Public Schools
