Let’s hear it for Ms. Marcelle Poulos, our April Teacher of the Month!

As a teacher at Marshall Elementary School, Ms. Poulos sparks students’ passion for reading and writing by listening closely to their words and thoughts, and encouraging them to find and use their own voices.

Ms. Marcelle Poulos Teacher of the Month

By Candace Hoes

It is with great enthusiasm that we here at 826 Valencia declare Ms. Marcelle Poulos of Marshall Elementary School our April Teacher of the Month! Affectionately known by students and parents as Ms. Marcelle, this dedicated educator has been shaping young minds at Marshall for almost twenty years, making her the longest tenured teacher at the school. Her warm approach to teaching has not waned one bit in all her years.

In fact, it is her emotional sincerity and availability that makes her such an effective teacher. One parent comments, “What I appreciate most about Ms. Marcelle is her willingness to listen to students, which in turn encourages them to find and use their voices.” Some of the students believe that they are distracting their instructor by asking so many questions that spark new discussions. In actuality, Ms. Marcelle is “engaging with what’s on the students’ minds, and that is what keeps them interested.” That’s such a skillful, seamless, and natural integration of real word implications into a classroom setting. Ms. Marcelle, we see what you did there, and we like it!

Furthermore, our April Teacher of the Month possesses a transformative quality that allows her students to accomplish goals beyond what they had even considered possible. Another appreciative parent remarks, “Every morning when we drop our son off in Ms. Marcelle’s room, we count our lucky stars.” This is because their son has developed an astonishing new love for reading and writing under his teacher’s guidance. The student faithfully attends Ms. Marcelle’s reading group twice a week, relishing the extra help. Now, he seeks out books on his own. He even loves the writing process–researching, drafting, revising–all of it! “He’s an intuitive kid,” his parent reflects, “and it’s clear that he senses (in his eight-year-old way) that he should match Ms. Marcelle’s dedication and commitment.”

In order to recognize her outstanding influence upon her students, 826 Valencia is thrilled to award Ms. Marcelle with a $1500 honorarium to use however she pleases. It’s our way of saying thank you, and we look forward to seeing you continue your exceptional work. By the way, since so many of your students have told us so, you just might be one of the best teachers in the world!

Read about our Teacher of the Month program.