Andrea Cline did not set out to be a teacher. Nevertheless, her caring nature and resourcefulness have made her a beloved fixture at O’Neal Elementary, where she was named 2023 Teacher of the Year.
“I’ve been nominated a few times. Usually, I’m the one that nominates people,” Cline said. “It was very rewarding to know that I have the respect of other staff and students and parents because I’ve been here forever.”
Cline grew up in Broseley and attended Twin Rivers High School. She earned two business degrees from Three River College, making her a first-generation graduate in her family, before launching into a retail management career for CATO Fashions and Stage Co. This was where she discovered her passion for teaching and love of kids.
“Anytime one of my employees was having homework problems, anytime they had a break or lunch, I was helping them with their homework in the break room. It just sparked something in me,” she recalled.
Cline went back to school and earned a bachelor’s in education from Southeast Missouri State University. Since her student teaching requirements were also met at O’Neal, this puts her total years in the school at 24 or 25.
“O’Neal has been my home the entire time,” Cline said.
Cline began as a second-grade teacher in 2003, then moved to first grade in 2007 and third grade in 2016. From 2019 to the present, she has served as a reading interventionist transforming struggling students into proficient readers.
An award application submitted by the O’Neal administration reads, “She says she gets the best of all three worlds, since she has students in first (through) third grade. Since she had taught all three grade levels she knows the grade level expectations, how they build off each other, and how to close the gaps... Data for the current year proves all students receiving intervention increased their reading level by at least one level with over 90% increasing multiple levels.”
Cline is also heavily involved in school committees. She is a member of the DATA Team, Leadership Team, District Calendar Committee, Admin Hiring Committee and Report Card Committee, to name a few, plus serving on district and school planning committees and managing O’Neal’s Facebook page.
Faculty members Wray Ann Williams and Ashley Robertson praised Cline for her contributions to staff.
“She is on top of the latest strategies to implement in reading instruction. Andrea attends grade-level meetings to provide any reading professional development that may be needed by grade-level teachers. She is an excellent resource,” they wrote.
Williams and Robertson continued to list her qualities: she keeps a cool head, gets to know her students and provides a welcoming classroom environment.
“She provides lessons that reach all types of learners,” they said.
Cline’s favorite part of the job is watching students gain confidence and knowledge.
“I love it whenever the students have this little bright light go off in their heads,” she said.
“I used to cry when kids would read to me,” she continued. Her students began the year struggling, but once they began reading well, “I would just sit there and cry because I was just so happy that they were getting it.”
Her students, both current and former, agreed she inspired them to achieve their best.
Carlton McDonald-Jordan sat in Cline’s classroom 15 years ago. He is currently in college.
“Her inspiration inside the classroom is second to none, and I am confident she will continue her positive influence on many students to come,” he said.
Eighth-grader Gabriella McGinty remembered how nervous she was entering first grade.
“Andrea Cline welcomed us all with open arms. She made each child feel like we mattered,” she said, adding she owes her strong academic foundation to Cline.
Current students described her as kind and helpful.
“I love how you help us read,” a student named Lizabeth wrote.
Those close to Cline said she also shows remarkable care for students’ families. Debbie Knowles’ granddaughter, Alexandria Sieben, was a student in Cline’s third-grade class the year her father died in a car accident.
“Mrs. Cline went above and beyond in helping Alexandria with the loss,” Knowles said.
“In a student’s life, a teacher can change them for better or for worse. Mrs. Cline always goes above, and beyond with how she impacts her students’ lives in the most positive ways,” Sieben said.
Knowles continued, “Mrs. Cline is one of those teachers that are very rare. She shows so much compassion for her students and the family as well. I feel our family has been very blessed to have her in our lives. I have more grandchildren that will attend this school and I know that they will benefit from her kindness, knowledge, and compassion.”