Nomination Essay for Mrs. Rasmi Bacon
Submitted by Margaret Alessi, parent
Region 1
Mrs. Bacon is an inventive, creative teacher who I would like to nominate as a
Super Teacher.
My son was a student of Mrs. Bacon’s three years ago. It was her first year
teaching, and she stormed into the profession. She is the crazy, fun, and dedicated
teacher you wish you had when you were a kid. She engenders such loyalty that
children and even parents from previous years come back to spend time with her and
help out in the class. She has her older students come back and mentor her current
class.
When teaching history, she created an archeological dig in her classroom. She
purchased sand to fill an inflatable pool and bought ancient-looking coins on eBay for
the kids to “dig.”
To teach kids concepts about the American Revolution, Mrs. Bacon throws an
annual Tea Party. This year, she invited two other fourth grade classes and organized
learning clinics. In one station, the children decorated colonial hats, which Mrs. Bacon
hand sewed at home. Another station was a Founding Fathers bingo game. She
created a story about five founding fathers with bingo words hidden within the story. The
children had to listen hard to determine if bingo words were spoken.
Every year, Mrs. Bacon holds a Jamestown Day Learning Lab. In this "learning
laboratory" environment, Mrs. Bacon really reinforces the facts and lessons the students
have been learning about the Jamestown colonists. Parents and children recreate a
model of the Jamestown fort, create wapum, and sample colonial-type foods.
Mrs. Bacon attends nearly every PTA program and is often seen at a student’s
baseball game or other sporting events. She attends the graduation ceremonies for her
former students, which the students appreciate.
When my son was in her class, she had a literature corner. She provided hot
chocolate to the kids bi-weekly, and they would read a part of the newspaper and then
focus on whatever the specific subject was that day. For instance, they might focus on
adverbs and the kids would discuss which adverbs they found in a newspaper article.
She was always looking for real-world examples to make sense of the facts for the
children. She also required a regular writing assignment for the kids and would give
everyone a chance to make it into the classroom newsletter sent to the parents. The
students really wanted their story in the newsletter!
Kent Gardens is an immersion school, and there is a divide between the general
education and immersion students. Mrs. Bacon finds ways to bring the kids together
through the school year.
Perhaps the biggest compliment is that my son, who is three years older than my
daughter and fights with her constantly, was genuinely sad when he found out that his
sister would not have Mrs. Bacon as a teacher this year. He told me he thought she was
one of the best teachers he has had.