Elementary Special Education Teacher Adriann D’Amico has been nominated Lake Road Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2023.
D’Amico earned a bachelor of biology degree at Central Methodist University in 2016. She is currently working toward her master’s degree in special education at Missouri State University, as well as seeking certification to become a board-certified behavior analyst.
Colleague Michelle McDaniel wrote, “Adriann’s passion for education, her cooperative nature and her love for her students, truly embody what qualities the Poplar Bluff School District teacher of the year needs to have.”
D’Amico, according to her nomination letter, is responsible for starting the “Kickstart Cafe,” which is described as a school-based enterprise intended to teach students real-world job skills, allowing students to run the business and service of the coffee shop.
Parent and colleague, Deana Ward wrote, “Children may not remember much of the detailed lessons we teach them to be successful in life, but the feelings they have about time spent in our home or classroom follow them for years to come. Adults stop teachers in parking lots and stores to talk to them about their lives because they remember the good feelings of being with their teacher. Adriann D’Amico will have many of these experiences in her future because she takes time to reach the hearts of kids, not just proficient test scores.”
Student letters spoke of D’Amico’s kindness and positive affirmations, one student letter read, “If I have something I have been working on and I show her she always says ‘good job’ or ‘that’s really good.’ She always makes her class fun.”
D’Amico is also an avid athlete and has taken part in coaching as well. She said teaching doesn’t stop in the classroom, writing, “Teaching for me doesn’t mean just in the classroom, but on the court and in the pool too.”
D’Amico said she could not accomplish what she does each day without the support of all of her team members at Lake Road School.
“I am blessed to work with these kids every day, they are my why,” she wrote, adding the whole school feels like a family.
“I am incredibly grateful and humbled to have been named Teacher of the Year at Lake Road Elementary. As a special education teacher, I have the privilege of working with a diverse range of students and collaborating with many outstanding educators. I am truly blessed to work with such fantastic individuals who are dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of our students. I am honored to be a member of this exceptional educational community.”