Upstate Parent's 2024 Educators Who Make A Difference: Angela Raines
First Grade, East North Street Academy
Angela Raines is celebrating 25 years in the classroom. A lot has changed, but as she teaches first graders at East North Street Academy, she has found that some things remain the same.
“I chose to be an educator because I wanted to make a positive impact on young people while making learning meaningful and fun,” she said. “This is my ‘why.’”
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Part of her method involves being silly and finding creative ways to help children remember their work. Often, there’s a song involved. Raines has spent years writing catchy tunes for everything from the parts of the ocean floor to math topics and even wars. The lessons stick.
“I have a senior in college that his mom just texted me the other day and said
‘he still talks about your math songs, and he still has to use them sometimes,’” she said. “So I try to find things like that, that are easy to remember and that will help them remember the skill and feel successful.”
Raines has taught several elementary grades, but her favorite part of the job is “seeing children ‘get it’ – when the lightbulb goes off and they are so proud of themselves and feel like they can do anything.”
Much of her classroom’s personality comes from setting expectations and following through on the celebrations and the consequences. Raines said once children know what to expect, they are amazing to watch. And if they are singing their homework, all the better.
“Teaching expectations have changed so much over the last 25 years and kids are being asked to do so many big things,” she said. “I feel that if I can make those ‘big’ things seem less bulky by making it fun and breaking it down for them, then I have done my job. I want to love them, teach them and instill a love for learning that will last a lifetime.”
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Upstate Parent's 2024 Educators Who Make A Difference: Angela Raines